Tender Loving Care
by Elemental Gypsy
Summary: Kai has fallen ill from stress and not eating enough. Hearing the news, Miguel rushes to his lover’s side, wanting to take care of him. But with Kai sick and a charity match coming up, who will train Grev?
1. Fainting Spells

Title: Tender Loving Care  
Summary: Kai has fallen ill from stress and not eating enough. Hearing the news, Miguel rushes to his lover's side, wanting to take care of him. But with Kai sick and a charity match coming up, who will train Grev?  
Pairings: Miguel/Kai, Hiro/Claude, Tala/King, Bryan/Garland  
Warnings: Yaoi. Fluff, fluff and even more fluff. And, er, some fluff!  
Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade.

This is for Blaze Queenie who requested a fic where Kai is sick and Miguel takes care of him (Thank you!!!). And has the elements of the pairings state above. She said 'or' but I'm putting them all in. Why? Because I love them too!

Anyway, here we are, beautiful. I hope you enjoy reading!

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**Chapter 1: **

**Fainting Spells**

Sitting on the edge of the dojo, his back leaning against one of the support beams, Kai wipes the sweat from his brow, as he turns his eyes to the blue sky above, squinting them in the blinding light. His face feels hot and uncomfortable, and he begins to wonder whether he has been sitting outside a little too long. His head is pounding so bad that it feels like his brain is throbbing as well.

"Hey, Kai."

Turning his eyes away from the heavens, Kai has to blink his eyes a few times to rid himself of his suddenly blurry vision, a small smile appearing on his lips when he finally recognizes the familiar silhouette of the person speaking to him.

Garland returns the smile and moves to sit down on the steps next to him, resting his chin in his hands as he gazes out into the courtyard, watching as his teammates patiently go through their drills. However, only his team is practicing. Grev is no where in sight.

Kai pinches the bridge of his nose, his headache growing increasingly stronger and more violent. He does not know if the headache is due to the lack of sleep or the constant stress he feels with getting G rev in order before a local charity match they've been enlisted to perform at.

It was probably latter of the two.

Since the justice five tournament, team G revolution has nearly forsaken practice. Sure, they skills were that of an advanced sportsman, but that compares nothing to their oversize egos.

"It's been a month," Garland mutters into his hand, his eyes looking blankly into space.

Kai finds himself smiling sadly in response. He completely understands what Garland means. It's been a whole month since he has physically seen his long time boyfriend, Miguel. Miguel and his team had been staying in Japan for a while, but had to go back to Spain to do a string of charity matches for the small towns to raise money.

Even though Kai didn't want his lover to leave his side, he understand that some of the charities Miguel is working with involve helping disadvantage children and he was more than willing to give his blessings.

Still, a month without Miguel is a long time.

Despite his less than spectacular mood, Kai finds himself smiling as he recalls his gorgeous blonde hair Spaniard. They started dating not long after the end of BEGA. A week, to be exact. How is all started, was thanks to his battle against Brooklyn. After he managed to stumble out of sight and into the corridors, Miguel silently and secretly ventured off from the others to find him. To see if he was alright.

Well, to make a long story short, he wasn't and Miguel was in the right state of mind to immediately called an ambulance, while taking care of his wounds so he wouldn't lose anymore blood.

Kai awoke in hospital two days later to find Miguel watching over him from his bedside. From that moment on, the two like-minded beings struck up a friendship, which soon turned to love.

It all happened so quick, Kai can't put his finger on the exact moment he fell for Miguel. He, however, has a theory that his feelings for the blonde started the moment they battled against each other for the first time.

Truth be told, it really doesn't matter when he fell for Miguel, all he knows is that he did and he wouldn't change it for the world.

Fortunately, the month long charity matches ends tonight and Miguel promised that he would be on the next possible flight out of there and back to him.

The day simply won't end quick enough.

Closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the support beam, Kai breathes a sigh. "It's been a month for you, too."

"Yeah…" Garland once again mutters into his hand.

Garland is a kindred spirit, understanding the plight of not having his soul mate near. Although Garland has not being dating Bryan for as long as Miguel and Kai have been together, the two silver hair young men are very, very passionate towards each other.

How the two got together, Kai isn't sure of the exact details, but he does know that the two got into a verbal sparring match that soon turned into a physical sparring match. Anyone with an imagine can predict how the match ended up.

"Is it me?" Garland mutters as he pulls the tie out of his hair and runs his fingers through the silver strands. "Or is Hiro even more annoyed than he has been the last couple of days?"

Kai chuckles, but bites his bottom lip when his vision suddenly goes blurry. His head is spinning, even worst than it was yesterday, and with each passing day he can feel himself growing weaker.

Maybe the stress of trying to coax his lazy teammates to train, organizing the charity match and desperately missing his soul mate is starting to become a little too much for the Beyblade enigma. Not that he would tell anyone, of course.

"He's just annoyed because Claude isn't here," Kai tells Garland weakly, but managing to hide his weakness from the martial artist. "You know Claude is the only one who can pull Hiro out of his bad moods."

"And he does it so effortlessly," Garland adds with a small laugh. "Still, Claude will be returning soon. Bryan, on the other hand…"

A wave of sympathy surges through Kai's being. "They work everything out with the abbey out soon, you'll see."

Garland looks over to Kai, preparing to say something when there is a loud crash from inside the dojo and immediately, Kai grimaces as if in physical pain.

If it was at all possible, Kai's teammates have grown even more annoying than they were before. Their egos had grown so enormous in size that they have disregard every little piece of valuable advice, believing that they already know just about everything there is to know about Beyblade.

It was so annoying, even more so when they are plainly wrong, that they refused to believe they've made a mistake. It's important to have self confidence. But possessing an ego and feeling self confident is two totally different things.

Kai has been told many a times that he has patience of a saint. But not even a saintly figure could possible withstand this lot.

"Kai?" Garland asks in concern, placing his hand on Kai's shoulder in an attempt to pin his still so he can get a better look at him.

However, Kai simply brushes his hand off his shoulder, painfully climbs to his feet with the help of the support beam and pushes away to stumble inside. Although his head is feeling a fuzzy from his headache, he wants to go inside to see what the damage his teammates have done this time.

Garland is immediately on his feet as well, following the shaky teen. Kai has a sickly pale tone to his skin, but his face is looking rather flushed. Does he have a fever?

Kai hears another loud crash from inside and he groans, willing his head to stop spinning. He somehow manages to stumble to the lounge room where the noise are coming from. Gripping the door frame in his hands, Kai peers around the room, his brow furrowing in annoyance.

Tyson and Max are in front of the TV, munching on packets of potato chips, disregarding the falling crumbs on the floor. Daichi is jumping all over the place, which explained the crashes Kai heard earlier and Ray is sitting against the wall enjoying his new found contraption, aka an Ipod, in his ears, his head bopping back and forth to the rhythm of the music. Hilary is sitting at the table, flicking through her pink, girly magazine, giggling every once in a while. Kenny is also sitting at the table, but he is typing away on his trusty laptop like he always does.

From behind him, Kai hears footstep and he realizes that the other occupants of the dojo has also ventured from whatever they were doing to investigate the noise.

"What are you lot doing?" Kai asks, managing to keep his voice level as he glares at the group. "You should at least be practicing your drills for the charity match in a few weeks time."

"What for?" Tyson asks from his seat in front of the television, a now empty packet of potato chips by his side. "It's only a charity match, facing off against some wannabe bladers. It's not like anyone is actually going to beat us."

"Yeah," Max says as he yawns widely in boredom. "We've trained enough, we already know everything there is to learn."

Pulling his earphones from his ears as he nods in agreement with his fellow bladers, Ray turns his amber eyes towards Kai, a hint of annoyance in their depths. "You don't expect us to train 24/7 do you?"

With his headache intensifying and his eyebrow twitching in annoyance, Kai draws in a deep breathe through his nose, his hands curling at his sides. An intense feeling of anger soon makes it's presence know within Kai's shaking frame.

"No, Ray, I don't expect you to train 24/7. I expect you to show some enthusiasm when it comes to blading. And I also expect you all to show some respect for your opponent, and by respect, I mean by practicing just so they can hold onto their dream that they might be able to defeat you," Kai says, gritting his teeth hard enough for his gums to hurt. "And you are all very deluded to think that you've learned all there is to know about blading. You haven't even scratched the surface."

Max and Ray look away from Kai with a small sense of shame, while Tyson gives Kai a look of pure annoyance and Kai braces himself for an argument, even an insult or two.

Tyson huffs and sticks his nose in the air, telling Kai rather flatly, "You're just jealous, Kai."

Even with his mind slowly becoming more fuzzy from his headache, Kai manages to croak out a short reply. "What?"

"You heard me," Tyson snaps, folding his arms over his chest. "You're just jealous because I'm the world champion, which means I'm a better blader than you."

That's it. Kai snaps.

"Jealous?!" Kai explodes before anyone else in the room has a chance to even open their mouth. "Why the hell would I be jealous of you?! You're nothing but a loud mouth, obnoxious, self-centered bastard who thinks his better than everyone else just because he won a few tournaments! Let me tell you something, Tyson, I've been winning tournaments longer than you have so it's safe to say you've got a few more years until you're level with me. And about being world champion, I don't want it, especially if it turns me into an egotistical jerk like you who has his head up his ass!"

Everyone in the room stares at Kai in complete and utter shock, their mouths hanging open in a fish out of water expression. They had no idea that Kai felt this way. He looks so angry, so frustrated. They've never seen him this angry before.

Kai continues to rant up a storm, feeling slightly detached from his body. The words just keep coming. True, everything he's saying is something he wanted to say for a while, but, he always managed to hold his tongue. But now, it's all coming out and he must admit, it feels kinda good.

But this is the wrong way to express his annoyance. He knows that, but is unable to stop himself.

"Let me tell you something else, Tyson," Kai hisses as he takes a couple of steps further into the room to painfully jab Tyson in the chest. "The reason why I continue to blade is because I like a challenge, not a win. I don't care if I win or loose, I just want a strong opponent and a good battle. If there were no titles, no championships I'd still be battling. Because, unlike you, I enjoy the thrill of battle, whether in a beydish or not. I enjoy going around the world, learning new things from each battle I participate in. I enjoy looking for strong opponents, seeing what kind of skills they have. I don't care about fame, reputation or the world title. All I care about is learning new things in battle so that I can become a better person."

Knowing that he should probably stop before he starts going on about his painful childhood, Kai finds himself continuing without his consent. "Look at you, all of you. You've lost sight of what blading really means. If titles, fame and winning is all that matters to you then you're not real bladers… You're no better than those bastards from Bio-volt!"

Finally, Kai is able to stop himself from saying any more. If he went any further he may unintentionally tell them about his past in the Abbey and with Voltaire. Those things he never wants to talk about, ever.

Panting hard, Kai registers the expressions of absolute shock and horror on each one of his teammate's faces when a tight feeling made it's way into his chest. He realizes it might have been a bit of guilt for taking things a little too far and saying things a little to harshly, but then he finds it very hard to breath. He finds himself bending over, his hands move to grasp at his chest as he struggles to breathe, beads of sweat dripping from his temples.

"Kai?" Garland asks, moving to stand by Kai's side, his hand resting on his back. He bends over to look up at Kai's face, concern abundant in his eyes. "Kai! What's wrong?!"

That is the last thing Kai hears before everything goes black.

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One chapter down. Not sure how long it will be. I'm going to try and concentrate more on the Miguel/Kai fluff, than anything in this ficcy. Simply cannot get enough Miguel/Kai fluff, can you? I know I can't!

Please review.


	2. Phone Conversations

Reviews: Many wonderful thanks to; FlyingShadow666, Ma.anda, Elves of the Moon, UNpReDiCtAbLE lIfE, Tenshi of Freedom, Uzumi, vlissan, Thegoldenlock, catchmeloon, Mizuki hikari, Blaze Queenie, Tuli-Susi, BloodRedViolet, cyborgshi, Abyssinian Rose, Kai's-Suzaku, Winter-Rae and Surrealtraversity!!!

Wow, 18 reviews:3 Thanks so much!

* * *

**Chapter 2: **

**Phone Conversations**

Hiro runs a hand through his hair, tugging at the bind, pulling it out. Pinching his nose, he sighs and looks down at the restless sleeping teen on the bed he is currently watching over. His brow furrows in an expression of pain, his cheeks flush with a high fever. He is currently laying on his side, his hands grasping tightly onto his pillow as his legs try to kick the blankets off him and onto the floor.

Hiro sighs as he leans forward in his chair to pick them up off the floor and gently placing them over Kai's slender form. The doctor had only just left moments earlier, with a scowl as clear as day on his face. He was annoyed and confirmed what Hiro already knew.

Kai has a common fever, but because he is suffering severely from stress and exhaustion, his immune system has become weak and is unable to properly fight off the virus.

And the fact that he hasn't been eating as much as he should and suffering badly from sleep depravation, certainly isn't helping matter at all.

Sighing again, Hiro shakes his head as he leans back in his chair. He had been suspicious of Kai's health for some time now, but never mentioned it to the young man. Kai would simply tell him to mind his own business and don't waste his time with such silly concerns.

Hire also heard from grandpa that Kai has been having an increasingly difficult time with his teammates G Revolution. Apparently, they thought they were too good to practice. Master bladers, if you will. They wouldn't even do their drills. That would take, what, ten minutes? Fifteen tops.

It' s also clear that Kai has been suffering from inner torment. He just exploded with an array of emotions, revealing things he's been wanting to say so badly. He's so polite and quiet that people forget that he, too, has problems.

Hiro shakes his head again as a grim smile edges it's way across his lips. Kai was right though, about what he said to Tyson and the others. They've all grown so cocky that they've forgotten what it's like to really blade. They hardly Beyblade now, except in tournaments. That's after they've jumped around in front of the cameras and make a spectacle out of themselves, of course.

A soft knock at the bedroom door pulls Hiro out of his thoughts and he glances over his shoulder in time to see the door quietly slide open and a familiar silver hair youth pop his head in.

"Hey," Garland says as he steps inside quietly. "Mr. Grang, ah, Gramps wants to have a word with you."

_Probably wants to know what's going on, _Hiro muses to himself.

Nodding as he climbs to his feet, Hiro stretches his arms over his head, popping a few muscles in his back, before turning his attention back to Kai, his brow knotting in concern as the teen whimpers in his sleep.

"How is he?" Garland asks as he moves to step beside him.

"He's a bit restless," Hiro tells him. "He's staying here for the night. The doctor said that it's possible that he won't awaken for a few days."

"He's really exhausted," Garland mutters, his expression a mixture of concern, guilt and annoyance. A feeling that Hiro understands all to well.

"Watch him for me," Hiro says, placing a hand on Garland's shoulder. "While I have a chat with my grandfather. Don't let anyone in here, especially no one from Grev."

Garland nods, never taking his eyes off Kai. Hiro squeezes his shoulder as a small form of comfort before turning on his heel and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

When he hears the door shut, Garland moves to sit in the chair Hiro occupied moments earlier. Lifting his hand, he carefully reaches forward and gently touches Kai's forehead, wincing at the radiant heat from his fever.

Sighing, Garland lean his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in his hands as he keeps a close eye on Kai. Every now and again, Kai would whimper and either curl himself into a tight ball, or try to kick the sheets off the bed.

Kai looks so weak. So fragile. So…unlike him.

It's unreal to see Kai whimpering in pain, fighting fever induced demons as he sleeps. Kai is usually so strong, so invincible. Garland has always admired the way very little seems to bother Kai. Insult him, and he will give you a blistering retort that will sting for weeks to come. Give him an impossible task and he'll have it done by sunset. Give him a rookie blader to train and by the end of the week, the kid will be blading at a championship level.

But now, he looks like a delicate china doll.

And it's so unnerving.

He truly cannot understand why Grev is acting in such a manner towards Kai. There are many Beyblade teams out there who would kill to have Kai train them for even one day. His blading skills, techniques and training methods are legendary.

And yet, people still take advantage of him. Not just Grev, but a lot of other people as well. The White Tigers absolutely hate him for reasons unknown. And half of the All stars hate him just as much.

Even so, Kai doesn't particularly care very much. Maybe that's the reason why they hate him so much. His indifferent attitude towards them must really get under their skin.

Fortunately, for everyone who detests Kai, there are several others who adore him. All the European bladers for example. Even Michael and Rick, although they would rather cut out their own tongue than say it, like Kai. If one opens his mind, then they will understand why Kai is the way he is.

A soft groan pulls Garland out of his thoughts and he directs his attention to the teen on the bed. Another whimper escapes Kai's lips as he tries to bury his face further into the pillows. Suddenly, a lone tear trails down his cheek. "Miguel," Kai murmurs in his sleep.

"Oh, right!" Garland's eyes immediately widen in realization, his hand immediately plowing into his pocket, searching for his phone. "I better give him a call to let him know."

Moving to stand by the window mildly noting that the sun is starting to set, Garland pulls out his phone and manages to locate Miguel's phone number. The blonde gave it to him in case of emergencies, like when either Tyson or Daichi pisses Kai off.

Pressing the phone against his ear, he listens to the ring tone, mentally thinking up ways to break the news to Miguel that his lover is currently suffering from exhaustion.

Miguel won't be the least bit pleased, but who would be? Being on the other side of the country while the love of their life is suffering and there is nothing they can do but hop on the next plane over.

There is a click and the sound like something hitting the floor. A few seconds later there is a yawn and a mutter. "Hello?"

"Miguel? It's Garland."

"Garland?" Miguel repeats in a sleep like state of confusion and Garland can just imagine Miguel sitting up in bed, his bleary eyes peering blankly into space as he yawns widely. "What is it?"

"I know it's late over there," Garland says in the most apologetic voice he can muster. "but it's important."

"It's Kai, isn't it?" Miguel asks immediately, causing a small smile to grace Garland's lips at how Miguel automatically thinks about Kai, even when his brain is still half asleep. "Is Tyson pissing him off again?"

Garland chews on his bottom lip, wondering what the best answer would be as this would be the fifth time this month that he had to ring Miguel to tell him that Kai needs someone to talk to. "Well, yes and no."

"Dammit," Miguel curses under his breathe. "I knew I shouldn't left."

Garland cuts him. "Miguel, I think you better get over here."

"Is Kai ok?" Miguel asks, concern abundant and evident in his voice.

"He collapsed, Miguel."

"What!?"

The yell startles Garland, but doesn't surprise him as he rips the phone away from his ear to preserve his hearing. He carefully brings it back to hear something muttering either incoherently or in another language. He can also hear the sound of ruffling, like someone is quickly gathering their things.

He hears another voice and assumes that it's Claude's when he hears another yell of concern. The two Spaniards exchange a few words in their natural tongue before Miguel turns his attention back to the phone call.

"What's wrong with him? Do you know?"

"He has a really bad fever," Garland goes on to explain. "brought on by exhaustion, stress, sleep deprivation and not eating enough."

"Shit! Goddammit!" Miguel continues to curse, no doubt mentally kicking himself for not foreseeing this. Even though the blonde hair heartthrob had no control over this situation, there is no doubt that he is feeling guilty for not being there for Kai when he needed him.

"Is he alright?" Miguel asks.

"The doctor had a look at him," Garland continues. "He said that he needs plenty of rest, because if he doesn't he might be diagnose with chronic fatigue. He said he is not to stress or work himself to hard, but you know how Kai is."

"All to well," Miguel sighs on the other end of the phone. "I'll be over as soon as I can."

Garland mutters a quickly goodbye before he flips his phone shut, ending the call. After taking a deep breath, he flips it open again, scrolling through the numbers until he reaches Bryan's. He has to inform Bryan what's going on, and hopefully, drag him out of Russia and back here. He's not used to seeing Kai so delicate and it slightly scares him.

Speaking of something scary, Bryan is going to be pissed when he finds out.

* * *

Chapter 2 done. Yay! Hopefully the start of Miguel/Kai fluff in the next chapter. Stay tuned!

Oh, and a quick question. Does anyone know of any Miguel/Kai fanart? I would give my first born to see some pretty pictures of my favorite pairing. But, alas, there doesn't seem to be any. How disappointing…

Please review.


	3. I'm Here For You

Reviews: Nyah! X3 I'm so happy! Big, big thanks to; Mizuki hikari, FlyingShadow666, Surrealtraversity, Lhune (Elves of the Moon), Winter-Rae, Thegoldenlock, Blaze Queenie, yo tadaiima, RoxasIsReal13, Tenshi of Freedom, vlissan, cyborgshi, Kai's-Suzaku, LunaLocket, Destiny Kitty, Tuli-Susi, KimKamPsycho, FlamingIce94, Ma.anda and ElleChan!

And another quick thanks to yo tadaiima and Destiny Kitty once again for their lovely fanart!

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

**I'm Here For You**

The shrill noise of the phone ringing from his bedside table arouses Bryan from the land of sleep. Muttering violently from beneath a pile of blankets, a long and muscular hand appears to flail out over the side of the bed, blindly feeling around on the bedside table.

Finally grabbing hold of the communication device, Bryan slowly sits up in bed, his hair a total bird's nest as he glares sleepily at his bedroom wall. He presses the answer button and brings the phone to his ear.

"This had better be important," Bryan growls dangerously.

"Hey, Bry," a soft voice says from the other side of the line.

"Garland?" Bryan mutters, becoming more alert at the sound of his lover's voice. "Hey baby, it's good to hear your voice, but you do know it's 3am in the morning here?"

"Sorry," Garland replies, sounding oddly tired. "but this is important."

Now, Bryan is completely awake. "What's wrong?"

Garland pauses, taking a moment to draw in a deep breathe. "It's Kai. He's collapsed with a fever, brought on by severe exhaustion and under eating."

Bryan almost drops the phone in disbelief, but manages to quickly recover. "Holy shit, what did they do to him?! Argh! Wait until I get my hands on those ungrateful little bastards!"

He has always said that Grev will be the death of Kai, but he didn't mean is literally. Kai is the most patient person he has ever met. What on earth has been happening in the past month that he doesn't know about?

Bryan's eyebrow twitches as violently as the thoughts of torture of Grev enters his mind. There's no doubt in his mind that the world champions believe that Kai's training is unnecessary.

They always did complain that his training were too harsh. Just wait until the experience true Blitzkrieg boys training.

"Can you come?" Garland suddenly asks, his voice sounding oddly lost. The suddenly timid feeling in Garland's voice startles Bryan somewhat, instantly making his heart melt. "It's kind of unnerving seeing Kai so fragile…"

"What kind of question is that?" Bryan replies gently, his eyes softening considerably. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

He hears a small noise of relief from the other end of the line and mentally imagines Garland nod his consent. He can be so cute sometimes.

"Ok, see you soon," Garland replies, his voice instantly lightening. "Love you."

The corners of Bryan's lips twitch into a smile. "Love you, too."

He stays on the line, waiting for Garland to be the one to hang up first. There is a moment of silence between them when Garland finally, and reluctantly ends the call.

Pressing the end button, Bryan glances down at the phone, mentally going over the conversation in his head. Then, his eyebrow twitches in annoyance and he tightens his hold on the phone, causing it to crack and strain under his seething grip. "I'll kill them. I'll gut them like a fish."

Throwing the blankets off of him, Bryan jumps out of bed, throwing on a jacket, he begins gathering his belongings. As he finishes gathering his most essentials, he heads out of his room and without knocking, plows into the room right next door.

Walking straight over to the bed, Bryan plants his foot in the side of the sleeping occupant. "Get your ass out of bed, Ivanov!" he orders and receives a yelp of surprise and pain.

Instantly, a disgruntle redhead sits up, throwing the sheets off his naked upper body to glare venomously at the frowning platinum. "Piss off, Bryan," he hisses, showing off his canine-like fangs.

Next to him, a young male with snow white hair sits up as well, holding the bed sheets close to him to cover his nakedness. "What's wrong?" King yawns, using his hand to cover his mouth.

"It's Kai," Bryan informs the two bluntly. "They finally broke him."

Tala's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. "What?"

King frowns and presses himself closer to his lover, looking for his warmth. "What do you mean?"

"Just get up and get dressed," Bryan orders them, turning on his heel to walk swiftly out of the room. "I'll explain on the way to the airport."

Tala and King share a look, confusion and concern shimmering in their eyes, before turning away to slip out of bed.

-----------------------------

Stumbling out of his room, Hiro mutters a string of jumble words as squints his eyes in the glaring morning light. He sighs as he runs to quick hand through his hair, attempting to tame it enough to pull it back into it bind. But just like everything else in this dojo, it's doesn't want to co-operate.

It's been a long night. He only managed to get a couple hours of sleep, spending the rest of his time worrying about Kai and checking up on him. His fever hasn't changed in the slightest, but it also means it hasn't gotten any worst.

Garland and the rest of his teammates are concerned for the Beyblade enigma, but thankfully agreed to head home last night to get some rest themselves. Garland seems to be taking Kai's current condition the hardest, but it's no surprise. The two have always gotten along so well. From the moment the two meet during the Justice Five tournament all those months back.

Hiro mutters another sigh as he pushes himself from the doorframe to venture towards Kai's room when he hears the front door slam open, something being thrown against the wall and feet walking hurriedly through the halls. Then, a familiar blonde appears, pushing straight past him and heading directly towards the spare room where Kai is.

"Miguel?" Hiro says in surprise. "Where-?"

Miguel acknowledges him with a sharp nod. "Hiro."

"What?" Hiro murmurs in confusion as the blonde disappears from his sight, not slowing in the slightest.

Carefully, Miguel opens the door to the spare room, silently steps inside and closes the door behind him. His eyes immediately softening in concern when his gaze falls upon the sole occupant in an all too large bed. His heart clenches in pain when Kai releases a painful mew and tosses in bed to lay on his side.

Quickly closing the distance between them, Miguel sits on the edge of the bed and lovingly runs his fingers through Kai's two tone hair. "Oh Kai. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you," he whispers as he leans down and gently kisses his forehead.

As he pulls back, he winces a little when he feels just how much Kai is really burning up. Taking the now dry cloth that has fallen off Kai's head, Miguel places it in a basin of water on a table near the bed. He wrings out the excess water and places it back on Kai's forehead.

The instant he touches the cool cloth to Kai's skin, he settles down, but does not wake. He nuzzles his cheek into the pillow under his head, a name on his lips, which brings a soft smile to Miguel's lips.

"Miguel…"

Hiro stares blankly at the spare bedroom door, confusion still clouding his mind. Did he really just see Miguel barge past him and walk straight into the room that Kai is staying in?

"When did he get here?" he asks himself, aloud.

Behind him he hears the same noise of the door being thrown open, then more feet hurrying on the floorboards.

"Hiro!" Suddenly, a tall and slender silver hair Spaniard appears, running straight over to him and throwing his arms around him neck.

Reacting on reflex, Hiro wraps his arms around Claude's waist, pulling him close to his body. "Claude, where-?"

"Is Kai ok?" Claude asks, pulling back to look Hiro in the eyes, blatant concern shimmering in his own.

Hiro blinks, the cloud of confusion growing ever heavier. "How on earth-?"

"Garland rang Miguel, telling him to come over as soon as possible," Claude answers him quickly, but then his brow knots with a frown and with concern for the young man in his arms. "Why didn't you ring?"

Hiro instantly winces. "Shit, I'm sorry, I was busy doing other things. You know, Tyson and the others?"

Claude's concern increases, his eyes shimmering with a sense of sadness. "So, they're wearing you out, too?"

"What?" Hiro reels back slightly in surprise. He blinks a few times in thought. "Oh, yeah, I guess they are."

"Then it's lucky that I came, isn't it?" Claude says as he leans forward and nuzzles his cheek against Hiro's shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"You're taking a few weeks off from work," Claude tells him in no uncertain terms, leaning back to look him straight in the eyes to prove how serious he is. "And from coaching G revolution."

"But they have a charity match coming up," Hiro argues, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Someone has to train them."

"Then, Bryan and I will."

Jumping back from each other in shock, Claude and Hiro quickly turn to the new voice, their gaze immediately falling upon a certain red hair Russian, who is looking less than happy. Hiro inwardly winces, knowing that Tala knows everything that has happened so far.

"Oh, Tala?" Claude gasps in surprise, his hand moving to grasp at his shirt.

"I'm here too," King says, moving into their line of sight, taking his rightful place next to Tala who casually slings his arm around his shoulders, holding him close against him.

"Let me guess," Hiro murmurs. "Garland told you?"

"Rang Bryan, actually," Tala answers, a small wolfy smirk appearing on his lips. "You know he's the only one who can ring Bryan at 3am in the morning and not get a right ear full."

"You want to train Grev?" Claude asks quickly, wringing his hands in front of him in a sign of nervousness.

"Yes," Tala nods sharply, a sadistic smirk threatening to appear on his lips. "Yes, we do."

"There we are," Claude says happily, turning around to face Hiro once again. He moves to stand in front of him and places his hands on his chest. "Problem solved."

Hiro looks down at the youth in front of him, gazing straight into his eyes. He sees determination within those usually docile depths and quickly realizes that he has lost this battle.

"You're right," Hiro relents with a sigh, placing his hands on Claude's hips. "Ok, you talked me into it. I'll take some time off work."

Claude smiles happily, throwing his arms around Hiro's neck. "I'm so glad."

"Where's Kai?" King asks quietly.

"With Miguel in the spare room," Hiro answers, motioning towards the room behind him. "We placed him there to keep an eye on him as his apartment is on the other side of town, but since Miguel is here we should arrange it so Kai can recover in peace in his apartment. You know how loud it can get around here."

"Miguel will take good care of him," Claude confirms, nodding his head.

"And taking him back to his apartment in a good idea," Tala also nods, a canine fang slipping out between his lips as he smirks. "Soon as possible would be an even better idea. He's a good kid, I don't want him to be around when what goes down, goes down."

Hiro knows that whatever Tala has in mind, isn't going to be pretty. But at this point in time, he can't bring himself to care very much. "It's going to be painful, isn't it?"

Tala sends him a sly look. "Yes, very."

"Where is Bryan?" Claude suddenly asks.

"He hasn't seen Garland for over a month," King answers him, a knowing smile gracing his lips as he lays his head on Tala's shoulder. "Where do you think he is?"

* * *

Next chapter will most definitely contain Miguel/Kai and Bryan/Garland fluff X3

Please review.


	4. In Safe Hands

Reviews: Big, glorious thanks to; Tuli-Susi, FlyingShadow666, Ma.anda, Kai's-Suzaku, Miako6, vlissan, Thegoldenlock, Blaze Queenie, FlamingIce94, Destiny Kitty, Winter-Rae, Tenshi of Freedom, Surrealtraversity, LunaLocket, UNpReDiCtAbLE lIfE and Elves of the Moon!!! -_flying crash tackles everyone_-

A pretty little, fluffy chapter for you all to enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**In Safe Hands**

Garland tilts his head to the side, hearing a sharp and powerful knock at his front door. His brow furrows in confusion as he crosses the room and reaches for the door handle. He opens the door and opens his mouth to ask who it is, when the door suddenly flies from his hand and someone quickly pulls him into a passionate, searing kiss.

Garland's eyes immediately widen in shock, but they soon slip close when he recognizes the comforting aura that can only be one certain silver hair falcon. He sighs as he snakes his arms around Bryan's neck, clinging tightly onto his hard frame to keep himself standing upright.

Feeling Garland sink into his arms, Bryan pulls him closer and deepens the kiss, ravishing Garland to the point where he is whimpering in ecstasy. It's been a month and he can safely say that he has missed the exotic and unique taste of his lover, and he wants to prolong the sensation as long as possible.

Becoming completely lost in the kiss, Garland isn't aware that Bryan is slowly maneuver him until his back touches the soft sheets on his bed, Bryan moving to lay on top of him.

"Wait!" Garland gasps as he breaks the kiss, pushing Bryan back by placing his hands on his chest. Panting heavily, he peers up at the familiar, smirking platinum above him. "Bryan?"

"Miss me?" Bryan asks, leaning forward so they're nose to nose.

"Of course I did, you fool," Garland rolls his eyes at the question and the wicked smirk on his lover's lips. "When did you get here?"

"Arrived this morning," Bryan explains as he rolls off Garland's frame and onto his side. He rests his head against his hand as he leans on his elbow. "Came straight from the airport."

Moving to sit up, Garland supports himself on his elbows. He turns a critical eye to Bryan, a suspicious look in his eyes. "…You're planning something, aren't you?"

Bryan merely flashes him a sadistic look. "What kind of question is that?"

Again, Garland finds himself rolling his eyes, inwardly knowing that the question is indeed, very stupid, but it had to be asked. "A question I apparently already know the answer too."

A short laugh escapes Bryan's lips. "Then why ask it?"

Garland shrugs. "Merely taking the opportunity to talk without having your tongue shoved down my throat."

This time a feral, perverted smirk graces Bryan's lips. He sits up, grabs Garland by the arm and pulls him against his chest, holding him their with arms of steel. "What a brilliant idea."

"Wait-!" Garland begins to protest, but it's too late. Bryan has already drawn him into a passionate kiss, successfully shutting him up and causing any and all coherent thoughts to flee from his mind.

He's going to have to question the Russian later.

-------------------

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes," Miguel nods as he places a carry bag on the ground next to his. "Kai usually keeps everything he needs in his shoulder bag. He rarely leaves anything laying around."

"That's true," Tala nods his head as he eyes Kai's bag for a moment before turning his gaze back to Miguel. "You have the keys to his apartment?"

"I have my keys," Miguel replies as he shoves his hand into his pocket and pulls out a keychain with a single key attached to it. "I assume he has his in his bag somewhere. He doesn't like it when someone goes through his stuff."

"You're the only allowed too, you know?" Tala tells him, his eyebrow reaching towards his hair line.

"Yes," Miguel smiles fondly as he recalls a conversation he had with Kai a few months back, regarding his belongs. They come to an agreement that there is no 'my belongings' anymore, but ours. "But I know where my keys are, so there's no need."

"Heh, alright," Tala offers a small smile, almost a wolf like grin. "How are we going to do this?"

"Hiro is going to drive us in his car," Miguel explains as he subconsciously looks over his shoulder to glance at the spare room bedroom door. "I'll sit in the back seat with Kai, while Claude holds his stuff in the passenger front seat."

"The brat pack?" Tala asks, resisting the urge to spit out the words.

"In the lounge room, Gramps is watching over them at the moment," Miguel answers tersely, his anger towards the Japanese team evident. Although he is angry enough to swear in his native tongue, his concern for Kai greatly outweighs his rage. All he wants to do at this point in time is to take Kai far away as possible and to look after him.

"From what I heard from gramps that from last night's little 'chat' a couple of them are feeling guilty."

Tala rolls his eyes, guessing which two are feeling sorry at the moment. "Even so, they took advantage of Kai. Bryan and I will make them begin to appreciate him more."

"Sounds good," Miguel nods his head, agreeing that this is indeed a good idea. What better way to make Grev miss Kai then by making their lives a totally hell, making them realize that maybe Kai isn't so bad to have around after all. "Do try to keep them away, though. You know how Kai is."

Tala resists the urge to laugh. He heard about Kai's fever induced rant from Hiro and found it hilarious in a morbid kind of way. He just wished he could have been here to witness it for himself. "I have no doubt he's still pissed off with them."

A chuckle escapes Miguel's lips as he nods once again. He too heard about Kai's little speech and finds himself agreeing with everything he said. Hey, someone had to say it, but he always thought it was going to be Bryan.

Though he gets the feeling that Kai means everything he said, but doesn't mean to say it, if that makes sense. It does in Kai logic, anyway.

They were probably lucky that it was Kai who snapped first. If it was Bryan, the whole episode would have involved more cursing, several explosions and about a dozen threats to painful and horrifying deaths to each and every one of them.

That would have been interesting to see, actually.

"The car's ready to go," Claude says as he steps back inside.

"Good," Miguel smile his thanks as Tala and Claude move to grab their bags. "I'll go and get Kai." He then turns on his heel and leaves.

"I'll take these," Claude says as he reaches for the bags. "You stay here and make sure no one interferes."

"Right," Tala nods as Claude takes the bags and disappears back outside to the car once again. He turns his head sharply to his left when he hears the sound of approaching footsteps, but relaxes when a certain snow hair blader appears.

"The others are still being guarded," King tells him quietly, glancing over his shoulder. "They don't know we're here yet."

"I'll give Bryan a ring," Tala tells him as he reaches into his back pocket for his phone, a perverse smirk twitching on his lips. "Hopefully, he's finished with Garland by now."

"Bryan will be in a good mood," King laughs as he moves to rest his head against Tala's shoulder. "He's been so grumpy for the last few weeks."

"Yes, but I can understand why," Tala murmurs as he scrolls through his phone book, looking for Bryan's number. "Anyway, now that he'll be in a good mood, I'm sure he's rearing to go do this thing."

"This should be fun," King whispers into Tala's ear as he nuzzles the back of his neck. "What are you going to do?"

Tala slinks an arm around King's waist and pulls him up against his chest as he presses his phone to his ear, a wolfy grin on his lips. "Watch and learn."

Quietly, Miguel moves across the room so not to disturb the sole occupant on the bed and crouches next to the said bed. He then carefully slips an arm around Kai's shoulders and pulls him into a sitting position on the bed.

Suddenly, Kai stirs in his arms, his flush face contorting in discomfort. Miguel pauses what he is doing and waits for Kai to either settle back down or awaken. He isn't sure which of the two he prefers. Kai needs his rest, but he would love to hear Kai's voice again.

Slowly, Kai blinks his ruby red eyes open and dizzily looks at his surroundings. He tilts his head to the side and gazes up into Miguel's face. "Miguel?" he whispers with a sense of confusion in his voice, but then a small, but grateful smile appears on his lips and he sighs. "You're here."

"Yes," Miguel whispers gently, placing a soft kiss on top of his head as he holds him closer. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

"It's not your fault," Kai murmurs as he snuggles against him. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too."

"What happened?" Kai asks, his voice soft, sounding that he's close to falling back to sleep. There's a sense of delirium as well, most likely due to the fever that refuses to let Kai go.

Miguel senses this and kisses him softly again. "You've been working too hard. Rest now. I'll take care of you."

"Hmm," Kai hums, slowly drifting off to sleep. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Te amo," Miguel whispers in his ear.

"I love you, too."

Miguel smiles as Kai's breathing becomes even and knows that he has fallen back to sleep. Carefully, his slips an arm under Kai's knees and then cradles him against his chest as he rises to his feet. Subconsciously, Kai snakes his arms around his neck and nuzzles his cheek on his shoulder.

Keeping a firm, yet tender hold on the far too slender frame in his arms, Miguel effortlessly carries Kai out the room, through the unusually silent dojo and to Hiro's car. Claude is there, waiting for him. He opens the car door for Miguel to maneuver him to sit in the back, cradling Kai in his arms.

"Has he awoken yet?" Hiro asks in a hush tone as he slips behind the wheel and starting the engine.

"Yes," Miguel replies. "He said a few words but fell back to sleep."

"He must be exhausted," Claude comments as he slips into the passenger seat, pivoting to look towards the back as Hiro begins to drive. "He's usually such a light sleeper."

"He works too much," Hiro mutters as he drives through the busy streets. "He'll need plenty of rest."

"Don't worry," Miguel assures, dropping his gaze to the youth in his arms. "I'll make sure he does."

Claude nods as a smile spreads across his lips. "Tala and Bryan will take care of everything else."

Indeed, they will.

* * *

End of another chapter. Expect nothing but fluff in the upcoming chapters. Miguel/Kai is just too cute for words X3 And of course, in the next chapter Grev find out about their new coaches!

Please review.


	5. A Gentle Awakening

Reviews: Many wonderful thanks to; Winter-Rae, Surrealtraversity, ladyofwest, Mizuki hikari, Blaze Queenie, Ma.anda, Miako6, cyborgshi, RoxasIsReal13, sasuke chica, BloodRedViolet, LunaLocket, Tenshi of Freedom, FlamingIce94, Kai's-Suzaku, MiguelxKai (awesome name X3), Tuli-Susi and Dranza!!

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

**A Gentle Awakening**

Max stares at his feet as he sits on the floor, his back leaning against the dojo wall. He lifts his arms and wraps them around his legs, sullenly resting his chin on his knees. His usually bright blue eyes are now a dull navy, a sign that not all is right with this teen.

"Are you alright, Max?" Ray, leaning against the wall near him, asks.

"Do you think Kai meant what he said?" Max asks, turning his almost vacant gaze to Ray. "About us being worst than bio-volt?"

Ray frowns. "No, I sure he didn't. He's been over working himself as usual and things just kind of got to him. You know how he doesn't particularly like to speak what's on his mind."

"I know," Max whispers, turning his gaze away again. "But, we should have been more considerate. He was right about us not having respect for out opponent. It's a charity match, yes, but it's a battle all the same."

"I know," Ray sighs, his hand moving to scratch the back of his neck in a guilty fashion. "We have been slacking off a fair bit lately."

"Fame can do the strangest things to people," Max hums, a sense of guilt in his voice.

Ray opens his mouth to reply, but the sound of the door being thrown open startles him, almost making him jump out of his skin. A moment later, the rest of his teammates stumble into the room, with two familiar Russians standing behind them, looking a little irate and a tad sadistic.

…This isn't going to be pretty.

"Ok, listen up, you little bastards," Bryan snarls dangerously as he folds his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing murderously. "Kai is out of commission of a while because of you lot and unable to train you ungrateful pigs for a hell of a long time. So, since there is a charity match coming up and you lot need to train, Tala and I are now in charge."

"You can't be our coach and captain," Tyson is quick to protest, the thought of having two Russian's training him instead of one terrifies him. "Hiro is."

"Not any more," Hiro answers tersely, his arms snaking around Claude's waist, pulling up against his side. "I'm taking some time off to spend with Claude."

Claude merely leans against Hiro's chest and glares at the group with a sense of betrayal in his amethyst eyes. His gaze falls upon the only dark hair youth in the room and his frown deepens. He thought that if anyone would be willing to train it would have been Ray. He's really disappointed in him. He should have known better.

Ray spots the glare and physically winces. Oh, he deserves that look alright.

"So, in other words," Hiro continues. "Bryan and Tala are your trainers until I see fit or until Kai returns, and Kai won't be returning until he recovers from his exhaustion induced illness and puts on some weight."

"But, they can't-" Ray starts to protest, but quickly snaps his mouth shut when he realizes his mistake. If he just trained when Kai asked him too he wouldn't be in this mess. He has no one to blame but himself.

"Oh yes, kitty cat, we can," Tala smirks, sensing Ray's obvious discomfort. "I think it's time for you lot to see how a Blitzkrieg boy trains, don't you?"

Ray swallows thickly, a sense of fear settling in the pit of his stomach, sweat dripping down his neck. "Not really."

If at all possible, Tala's smirk grows more wolf like and sadistic. "Well, that's too bad."

"Heh," Bryan snorts, a smug expression on his face. "You don't have much choice in the matter."

Tyson begins to pale considerably as beads of nervous sweat begin layering his skin. He quickly turns his attention to the only family member he has left and who has the authority to prevent this whole thing. "Gramps, don't tell me you're allowing this?" he asks his grandfather in a pleading voice.

Mr. Granger nods grimly, folding his arms over his chest in a very serious manner. "Suck it up, little dudes," he tells the group. "It's for your own good. The K-man needs some time off."

Tyson looks ready to pass out as he gazes at his grandfather in disbelief, and a sense of betrayal. He then glances back to his new trainers, feeling as if he was just sentenced to death. "This is going to be painful," he mutters under his breath.

"It's karma," Ray sighs, glancing at all the older men in the room. "And we have to take whatever's coming to us."

"That's right," Bryan practically growls at them. "And for the record, Tala and I are nothing like Kai in our training. We're going to make you regret every little thing you've done to hurt or annoy Kai. And I mean everything."

"You're training starts now," Tala orders, pointing outside. "Fifty laps around the dojo."

"But, I haven't had breakfast yet," Tyson protests, folding his arms over his chest in a defiant manner. Him? Train without having something to eat first? Yeah, right. "I'm not going until I have something to eat."

Slowly, Tala crosses the room like a wolf zoning in on his prey to stand before Tyson, towering over him in a threateningly manner. He suddenly grabs him by the collar of his shirt and practically throws him outside.

"None of you will have anything to eat until I say so," Tala commands as Tyson lays face down and still on the ground outside. "And because of that little act of defiance, you now have to do seventy-five laps around the dojo. All of you."

"What?!" the others cry out.

"You're a team," Tala explains as he turns to face them all. "You will work and train as one. If one person does something stupid, the rest will suffer along with him."

"But, that isn't fair!" Max protests, blatant shock in his baby blue eyes.

"Do you know what isn't fair?" Bryan asks with a threatening tone, a deep frown on his face. "Kai falling unconscious from stress because he's so-called teammates and friends gave him a hard time, day in and day out. He tried his best to get you into becoming the Beyblade champions you are today, and all you guys did was used him and abused him. That isn't fair, now is it?"

Max physically winces. "No…"

"Good to see we're on the same wavelength now," Tala smirks sadistically. "Now, get out there and train!"

---------------------

Squinting his eyes in the glaring morning light, Kai mews in discomfort. His head is absolutely pounding with intense pain. It feels like he's brain is throbbing inside his skull, even though he knows it's not physically possible.

Slowly forcing his eyes open, Kai gazes around the room, his mind mildly beginning to register the fact that he is no longer in the dojo, but back in his own apartment. In his bed to be more specific. He doesn't remember getting here. The last thing he remembers is screaming something, seeing the shocked expressions on his teammates' faces, feeling dizzy and not being able to breathe probably and then complete darkness.

A groan escapes Kai's throat as he recalls bits and pieces of his speech -ok, rant- and winces. Although everything he said had a mild sense of truth to it, it probably shouldn't have been said. He lost his temper. Big time.

He hopes he didn't say anything too vicious.

"Kai?"

Kai snaps his attention to the voice, immediately wincing in pain as his head throbs in pain forcing him to squeezes his eyes shut upon reflex. A small gasp of surprise escapes his lips when he feels something soft and cool pressing against his forehead.

"Take it easy there, Kai."

Forcing his eyes open, Kai blinks his ruby eyes to reduce the blurriness from sleeping too long and finds himself gazing upon the bronze face of the young man he fell in love with.

"Miguel?" Kai whispers softly, a small sigh of relief passing his lips as he lifts his hand to gently touch the side of Miguel's face. "I wasn't dreaming."

Miguel smiles his charming smile, his eyes softening with a gentleness that Kai is the only one privileged enough to see daily. "How are you feeling?" he asks as he sits on the edge of the bed, placing a comforting hand on Kai's shoulder.

Kai remains silent for a moment, his hand moving up to rest against his forehead, wincing as he does so. "I feel like crap," he answers honestly.

Before he can stop himself, Miguel releases a small chuckle and smiles at the bluntness of Kai's reply. He leans forward and takes Kai's hand within his and kisses his palm ever so tenderly. "Well, I think you look as beautiful as ever."

Kai peers up at Miguel through one eye, disbelief clearly seem shimmering within the ruby colored orbs. "Liar," he replies, a small smile on his lips.

Another chuckle passes Miguel's lips as he sends Kai a mock hurt look. "I never lie."

"I know," Kai whispers, letting his hands tighten around Miguel's hand. Suddenly, an almost pained expression appears on his face, like he's trying to piece things together. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Miguel tells him. "Looks like all the pressures and stress has finally caught up to you."

"I fainted?" Kai repeats in disbelief.

"The doctor was called, of course," Miguel continues to explain. "You have a fever that was brought on from exhaustion, stress and sleep depravation. You also haven't been eating as much as you should."

Kai winces again, but not from the physically pain. "I'm sorry," he whispers, recalling the conversation he and Miguel had a while back, regarding Kai's eating habits.

Miguel believes that Kai doesn't eat as much as he should and worries daily if he has eaten anything. He knows that Kai doesn't have a very good relationship with food and he is slowly trying to help Kai realize that not all food will make him sick, like it has done in the past. Officially, he doesn't have an eating disorder, parse, but due to his past in the abbey where they often placed unknown capsules of drugs in his food regularly, he's a little more than weary about the food he eats.

"How long have I been out?" Kai asks, cleverly turning the conversation away from his dislike of food.

"A few days," Miguel replies. "And you're going to be in bed for the next week, at the very least."

"But I can't," Kai insists, struggling to pull himself into a sitting position on his bed. "I need…"

"You need to recover," Miguel tells him firmly, but gently pushing him back down on the bed. "You're main concern now is to get better. Think about yourself for once."

"But, someone needs to get the others to train," Kai protests weakly, falling back against the soft pillows. "None of the others will practice by their own free will. Just because I have a fever, doesn't mean they will now."

"Don't worry about that," Miguel says as he lifts his hand and places it on Kai's forehead, a wince appearing on his face when he realizes that the fever he thought he had broken, is now returning. "If you don't start to calm down you'll pass out again and your fever will get worst."

"But…"

"No buts, you need rest," Miguel places a moisten cloth on Kai's forehead as he gazes up at him with sleepy eyes. "Everything will be taken care off. I'm staying here to take care of you, and make sure you do get some rest." he finishes, giving Kai a stern look, a look that says; you know what I'm talking about.

Not having the energy to retaliate, Kai nods, sinking comfortably back into his bed and closes his eyes. "All right, but you can't train them and look after me at the same time."

A smile spreads across Miguel's lips, happy that Kai isn't going to argue with him, hence make his condition worst and the fact that Grev's training has already being taken care of. "Someone, make that two, has already volunteered to coach them for the upcoming charity match."

Kai's eyes snap open and he peers up at Miguel with nothing but disbelief on his face. "You're kidding? Who?"

Miguel's smile widens. "Well, Bryan and Tala of course. They'll take good care of them."

The look of shock and disbelief on Kai's face is quite comical, causing Miguel to bite the inside of his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"It's true!" he insists. "They're training now."

Kai continues to gaze at him in bewilderment. "How did they take it?"

"How did Tyson and the others take to the fact that Bryan and Tala are now training them?" Miguel asks, verifying the question.

Kai nods slowly, being careful not to move too suddenly or sharply. "Did they complain like they usually do?"

This time, Miguel does chuckle. "No one complains to Gramps, Hiro, Tala and Bryan."

"All four of them?"

"Yep."

"Wow," Kai mutters quietly, his eyelids suddenly starting to close. "I should have thought of that a long time ago."

"Max is worried about you," Miguel tells him softly, knowing that Kai sees the blonde as a little brother. "And he says his sorry for not realizing his behavior earlier."

"He's a good kid," Kai whispers. "Just…easily led astray…"

"Sleep now," Miguel tells him gently, placing a kiss to his cheek. A moment later, Kai's breathing evens and he falls asleep.

* * *

X3 Ah, chapter 5 is done. Miguel/Kai fluffness for you to enjoy. It's just what the doctor ordered.

Please review.


	6. Succumbing To All Obstacles

Reviews: -_Flying crash tackles/glomps; Surrealtraversity, Mizuki hikari, XXFlamingPhoenixXX, Blaze Queenie, BloodRedViolet, Lhune, vlissan, Ma.anda, Miako6, Winter-Rae, Tenshi of Freedom, Thegoldenlock, Kai's-Suzaku, RoxasIsReal13, pheonix80 and azab_- Thanks so much for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

**Succumbing To All Obstacles**

Piercing eyes of ice glare at the small group of young bladers before, a mild sense of disgust, annoyance and a tad of sadism. He is waiting for the unfit youths to catch their breathes after finishing their warming up requirements of 75 laps around the dojo.

Yes, since the first day, the moment Tyson started to act all defiant, Tala and Bryan conceited that laps around the dojo are merely a warm up, something they must complete every morning.

They've yet to experience the true horror of blitzkrieg style training. What they've been experiencing so far are just like the laps, warm ups. He can't wait to take them to the park for 'survival training'.

At first Tyson protested every step of the way as he ran laps, yelling out his complaints every time he passes by the ever watchful eyes of not only the two hardcore Russians, but the Russians' boyfriends, his older brother and his significant other as well. Every single one of them glaring at him with accusing gaze, gritting their teeth with each complaint.

However, as the number of laps grow higher, his complaints lessen to mere pants of breath, taking all his energy to simply stay on his feet.

Tala must admit, it's amusing to watch the loud mouthed champion struggle to string two coherent words together. But what isn't amusing is the fact that Tyson still had the gall to complain.

He's going to knock that defiant and arrogant attitude out of him one way or another.

"Tala?" a soft voice breaks Tala out of his Tyson torturing thoughts. He immediately recognizes the voice and a small smile appears on his lips. He turns just in time to see his snow haired lover make his way over to him, a gentle breeze teasing his snowy locks.

"Hey," Tala greets, holding out his hand for King to take. When King slips his hand in his, Tala wastes no time in pulling the slender teen against his side, holding a protective arm around his waist.

"I just got a call from Miguel," King informs as he moves to stand in front of Tala, subtly demanding his full attention. "He said Kai woke up a few hours ago."

"How is he?" Tala asks with obvious concern for his friend's well being.

A soft smile graces King's lips. "Miguel said he had to talk him out of trying to train Grev. Fortunately, Kai relented in his protests when Miguel informed him that you and Bryan are now taking over their training."

Tala sniggers, trying to picture Kai's face when Miguel informed him of that important piece of information. "How did he take it?"

"Miguel said he was shocked, but admitted it was something he probably should have done a lone time ago."

Sniggers turns into laughter, knowing that deep inside, his childhood friend is going to be just fine. Being a blitzkrieg boy, they have a habit of being brutally honest when they're sick or exhausted. And hearing about Kai's rant before passing out, and the way he admitted that maybe he could do with some rest only confirms it.

A week or two with Miguel taking care of him and Kai will be back on his feet in no time. But whether or not Miguel will let him is another matter.

King lays his head on Tala's shoulder, his eyes slipping close as he snuggles against his side. "Having fun?" he asks, a small sense of teasing in his voice.

A wicked smile appears on Tala's lips. "Haven't even got started yet."

"I see," King chuckles lightly as he slips his hand up Tala's chest to rest on the curve of his neck. He then pulls Tala's head down, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss, completely ignoring the group of Japanese bladers still struggling to catch their breathes after their morning exercise.

"Give them hell," King whispers as he pulls back.

A sadistic smirk appears on Tala's lips as he turns his icy blue eyes back towards the annoyance that goes by the name of Grev, his smirk growing when Ray just happens to look up and notice his wolf like grin. He immediately winces and looks away. There's a bit of guilt there, but not enough. He, along with the others, even Max, have a whole lot of groveling to do.

"Oh, I plan to," he growls in a wolf like manner.

King chuckles again as he lays his head on Tala's chest, snuggling into his arms. He loves it when Tala is acting all mischievous and badass. He also loves Tala's protective side, it's what drew him to the redheaded Russian in the first place.

Suddenly, King realizes that Tala is on his own. Where's the other badass Russian? "Tala? Where's Bryan?"

With the wolfy smirk still adorning his lips, Tala turns his gaze towards the youth in his arms. "Getting some more training methods ready."

A look of confusion flickers onto King's face, silently trying to decipher what that means. After a few moments of silence, he gives up and raises an eyebrow in question. "Ok, and what does that mean?"

"Well," Tala drawls as he wraps his arms tighter around his snow haired angel. "I know it's only been three days, but we believe that running laps will no longer be enough. So, I sent Bryan and Garland to design an obstacle course."

"An obstacle course?" King repeats, then laughs at the thought. "They'll hate it!"

The grin grows. "I know."

-------------------------------------

Folding his arms over his chest, Bryan surveys his surroundings, a sense of achievement mixed with sadistic pleasure fills his eyes. "Looks good," he says.

Nodding his head, Garland moves to stand by his tall silver hair Russian, laughing when Bryan suddenly sweeps him up into his arms. "Do you think it will do?" he asks as he wraps his arms around Bryan's neck, resting his head on his shoulder.

Turning his eyes back to their makeshift, boot camp like obstacle course, he takes a moment to eye each and every obstacle. They have just about everything they can think. Balancing beams, walls to climb over, fences to crawl under, hoops to jump through, running on sand, running on gravel, a rope swing over a muddy hole. And what makes this course even more difficult is that they must keep their blades spinning along side them every step of the way.

"It's long, difficult, extremely tough, and they'll hate it," Bryan muses before breaking out into a grin. "It's perfect."

"Hmm," Garland hums softly, feeling content to simply stay in Bryan's arms. "When are you going to show them?"

"Dunno," Bryan mutters. "Do you think we should show them today?"

"Umm…" Garland hums again in thought, before he too breaks out into a grin, placing a quick kiss to his cheek. "I think that's a great idea."

Bryan laughs and gently places Garland back onto his feet, plunging his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone. He turns his back to speak in the phone, giving Garland the opportunity to look over his torturous creation once more. It certainly looks tough. He doubt he could do it without stopping for a few breaks, he can't imagine how Grev will cope.

"This should be interesting," he mutters to himself, a small smile of anticipation on his lips.

He turns around to see whether Bryan is done with the phone and notices a familiar pair from the corner of his eye. Hiro and Claude are no doubt simply taking the time to enjoy each others' company, and would probably like to left alone. However, Garland wants to introduce them to the obstacle course that Bryan has loving called the 'Gateway to Hell'.

"Hiro. Claude," Garland calls out, waving the two over.

Looks of confusion appear on their faces as they wander over, noticing all the new wooden structures they're certain was not here yesterday.

"What are you doing?" Hiro asks, not bothering with a greeting of any kind.

Garland merely folds his arms coyly behind his back and smiles slyly. "It was Bryan's idea," he says. "It's to help Grev train for the charity match."

Hiro raises an eyebrow and looks over Garland's shoulder, immediately realizing what these structures are. Although, it doesn't look like a Beyblade training course, more of an army or boot camp kind. "They'll be struggling to do one lap of this thing," Hiro comments.

Garland shrugs and is about to answer when Bryan snaps his phone shut. "Well, we're about to find out. Tala is leading the little brats here at this very moment."

"What do you want to do, Hiro?" Claude asks, tugging on his hand. "Do you want to stay?"

Hiro presses his lips into a thin line. He must admit, he's curious with what Bryan and Tala has done to the others so far. And it is his job to make sure none of them break away and harass Kai even more. But after seeing the training the two Russians have planned, the rest of Grev probably won't have the ability to move, let alone bother Kai.

"We'll stay for a little bit," Hiro says as he glances over his shoulder, noticing Tala frog marching the disobedient youths in their direction.

Bryan notices the team as well and a smirk immediately appears on his lips. He moves to stand in front of the group, folding his arms over his chest like a figure of authority. "Well done," he says as the stand before him, looking weary and lethargic. "You've just advanced to the next level of training."

"No more laps?" Tyson asks.

"I didn't say that," Bryan replies, turning his gaze to the world champion and jerks his thumb over your shoulder. "This is what we're going to call 'Gateway to Hell'. It's your new training ground."

Every member of Grev move to peer around Bryan, their eyes widening at the sight before them. Dark shadows fall over the obstacles, making them look ten times larger and more ominous.

Max blinks his baby blue eyes slowly. He could have sworn he just saw a vulture resting on a rope swing, looking at him in a very ominous and hungry way. He shivers. "An obstacle course?"

"How observant," Bryan comments.

Tyson stares at the course, mouth wide open, appearing to be catching flies. He suddenly snaps his mouth shut and folds his arms over his chest, haughtily sticking his nose in the air. "There's no way I'm doing that."

Slowly and very threateningly, Bryan and Tala turn to him. Sadistic smirks appear on their lips. "Is that so?" Bryan asks, as he and Tala make their way over to the pudgy blader, circling him like a pair of vultures.

"Sounds like a challenge to me," Tala comments as he folds his arms behind his back.

Bryan suddenly pulls out his Beyblade, pointing it directly at Tyson. "I suggest you start running."

Tyson blinks slowly, before the color drains from his face. He screams a girly, high pitch scream and takes off, Bryan and Tala herding him through the obstacle course, grinning evilly all the way.

Hiro watches the scene through unblinking eyes. He turns to his young lover and notices that he is wearing the same expression. "Lets go," he says as he wraps an arm around Claude's waist. "We're not needed here."

"Yeah, ok," Claude mutters as he sinks against Hiro's side.

-------------------------------------

Kai suddenly jerks up in bed, a look of surprise on his face as his eyes dart around the room. He could've sworn he heard a gut wrenching cry of absolute terror. He looks around and realizes that he's safely tucked away in his room. He soon realizes that he was probably just dreaming.

He tends to have realistic and strange dreams when he has a fever.

With a sigh, Kai rubs his forehead and falls back into bed, falling against the soft pillows. "Probably just my imagination," he mutters as he gazes up at the ceiling with sleepy eyes.

A moment later the door to his bedroom opens and his blonde hair Adonis steps in, concern, but also a hint of relief clearly seen shimmering in his eyes when he sees that Kai is awake. "How are you feeling?" he asks, moving to take a seat next to Kai on his bed.

Slowly removing his hand from his forehead, Kai smiles as he grabs a hold of Miguel's hand, letting him stroke his palm with his thumb. "I just had a strange dream that Tala and Bryan were chasing after Tyson with cattle prods, herding him throug this massive obstacle course."

Miguel laughs at the idea then pauses when he remembers Bryan muttering something about an obstacle course to torture Grev with. How strange…

Kai suddenly tugs on his hand lightly. "Lay down with me?" he asks softly.

"Of course," Miguel replies immediately. As if he could say no to Kai, especially when he asks in such a delicate state. Slipping onto the bed, propping his head against the pillows, Miguel pulls Kai into his arms, laying his head against his chest.

Kai sighs and snuggles against him. "You're so warm," he mutters before falling asleep.

Miguel smiles lovingly down at him, running his fingers through his hair. A small sigh escapes his lips as he thinks about the youth in his arms. He loves being able to take care of Kai, but it hurts to see him so fragile. And he wouldn't be in this state if it wasn't for a certain mouth loud and his teammates giving him a hard time. He doesn't deserve such treatment from his fellow bladers.

Miguel is seriously thinking about taking Kai back to Spain with him, just so he can rest in private. Not having to worry about the others at all.

Another sigh passes Miguel's lips as he tries to settle himself down. As of yet he hasn't been able to tell Grev off. Kai is his main concern. But he promises himself that he will tell Tyson exactly what he thinks of him.

If he doesn't punch him in the head first.

* * *

_-Takes a deep breath-_ Ah. I love the smell of Grev torture, don't you? Look out for more Miguel/Kai fluff-ness in the next chapter. It's chock full of it. Promise! 

Please review.


	7. The Best Medicine

Reviews: Sincerest and warmest hugs goes to; pheonix80, Kai's-Suzaku, Abyssinian Rose, Winter-Rae, Tuli-Susi, Kaz-za-15, UNpReDiCtAbLE lIfE, Miako6, Ma.anda, Thegoldenlock, Tenshi of Freedom, Dranza the Phoenix Harpie, chrono-contract, LunaLocket, BloodRedViolet, Destiny Kitty, Blaze Queenie and twilight a time to be yours!

Warning: Enough fluff to make you choke. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

**The Best Medicine**

Thick gray clouds hang in the sky, covering the sun's warm glow and threatening the occupants of the earth surface below that monsoonal rains could be mere seconds away. However, that does very little to concern the tall, lanky silver hair Russian. In fact, Bryan is hoping that the rain will come so he can 'teach' these ungrateful little snobs that are now his charges how to practice in the rain.

They'll no doubt hate it, so that's why Bryan is praying for rain.

It's been a few days since Kai was whisked away back to the secluded sanctuary of his apartment on the other side of town. He's has been awake -well, conscious- now for at least two days. And Miguel tells him that his health is steady improving.

It just goes to show how much Grev have been effecting Kai's health. It's only been a few days and he's already getting better under Miguel's loving protection and healing.

It also goes to show how lenient Kai was towards his Japanese teammates. They've hardly even scratched the surface on the Blitzkrieg boys training schedule and they're already exhausted.

This is going to be fun.

Glancing down at his watch, Bryan raises an eyebrow and notices that it's now mid morning. The remaining members of Grev have been training non stop since the crack of dawn. Maybe he should give them a break. But only because Gramps asked him to allow the teens a small break once in a while. If it wasn't for the old man asking him politely -well, he thinks it's politely. He can never understand the crazy old coot very well - he would let them continue training.

"Five minute break!" Bryan announces, unable to stop the smirk from appearing on his lips when the teens merely drop to the ground in panting heaps, not having the energy to do anything else.

"How do you think Kai's doing?" Max asks during a rare moment of respite as he stares up at the sky.

"Hopefully a hell of a lot better than we are," Ray replies as he leans heavily against the tree. Every bone and muscle in his body is aching. He's hurting in places he didn't even know he could hurt.

So this is what it means to work out Blitzkrieg style. 

Bryan and Tala are relentless, and very unforgiving. Every day since they have been employed as G Revolutions' new coaches -which he can count on one hand- they have been getting the guys, and Hilary as well, up at the crack of dawn to train. First, they would wake them up with a bucket of cold water, drag them outside before they have any breakfast to run several laps around the dojo walls. They are allowed a five minute break for breakfast, a healthy breakfast served by Gramps himself. Tyson has tried every morning to appeal to his elder, telling him that he understands what he and the others have been doing.

And unfortunately for them, Gramps agrees with their training methods. He theorizes that it's very much the same as training for the martial arts. 

Discipline, mental strength, physical strength, endurance, they're all important and essential for the up coming beybattles they will face in the future.

After breakfast, it's back outside to do some warming up exercises, more laps, crunches and weight lifting. Every second day, it's the obstacle course, aka, Gateway to Hell. Then Beyblade training, facing off against each other, and sometimes, even against Bryan or Tala. Also, Garland and King have also made an appearance to see how they were doing.

Hiro and Claude only make an appearance every once and a while, also checking up on them. But, most of the time, Hiro's out with Claude, merely enjoying quality time together. He was in charge of making sure that no one from the currently disgraced Japanese team would make contact with Kai while he's busy healing. But after witnessing the Russian's training methods -once again, thanks to Gateway to Hell- he soon realizes that they are far to tired to even move, let alone bother Kai, so he left them be.

Of course, Claude was a major factor in that decision.

The guys know that Miguel is in the country as well, but as of yet, no one has seen hide nor hair of him. Maybe it's a good thing. Miguel looks like a friendly guy, but he can have a bit of an acid tongue when he has to deal with people hurting his boyfriend.

"My legs are killing me," Tyson whines from his position, sprawled out in a sweaty, filthy mess on the ground.

"I can't feel my arms," Daichi echoes, laying next to the teen.

"Well," Ray tries to scowl, but he doesn't have the energy. "That's what you get for trying to skip training yesterday."

Tyson and Daichi both thought that they didn't deserve such training or treatment from the two Russians and decided that they will sneak away and skip training. They wouldn't find them, Tyson had said.

He didn't get very far. They didn't even make it beyond the dojo walls before they were found by a rather annoyed Bryan. Grapping both subordinates by the scruff of their shirts, he effortlessly throws them in the Koi pond, dunking them under the water a few times, and them hurls them out onto their faces. They spent the rest of the day doing laps and push ups.

"Right, break time's over, get back to your training," Bryan orders, his arms tightly folded across his chest.

"Five more minutes," Tyson groans, not wanting to get up.

"Five more laps," Bryan quickly counters, before adding with a sadistic grin. "For everyone."

The moans and groans of protests falls on deaf ears, and the teens resign themselves to their fate, forcing themselves back to their feet, shooting glances of hatred and annoyance to the world champion.

"Just couldn't help yourself, could you Tyson?" Ray asks as the group being jogging again, the said world champion lagging behind.

Suddenly, the heavy clouds above them burst open, sending torrents of water rushing towards the earth with unimaginable speed.

"Yes!" Tyson gives a cheer, thinking that now it's raining, training will have to be postponed until it stops again. And that could take days.

"I'm excited too," Bryan smirks as he tilts his head back, letting the water droplets soak his hair. "It means I can teach you how to blade in the rain. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"What?" Tyson splutters, turning to stare at the Russian in disbelief. "You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I'm very serious," Bryan smirks before turning a stern gaze at Tyson. "And who told you to stop running? For that, you have to do ten more laps."

"This is abuse!" Tyson cries as he starts jogging again.

"Move it, Tyson!" Bryan is quick to yell at the running lava lamp. "I can show a movie on your ass, lard butt!"

----------------------------

Stretching his arms over his head, Kai emits a small mew and rolls over onto his side, wrapping his arms around his pillow and gazing out through his bedroom window. The sky is slightly gray and looks like there's a chance that it might rain.

A good day to be inside.

Kai releases another sigh as he snuggles further in the blankets. It feels strange to him, spending all day in bed doing absolutely nothing. Just lazing around like those stray cats he feeds and cares for when injured.

Although, strange to him, Kai soon realizes that he's beginning to enjoy it. Even more so when Miguel is here with him. In fact, he dares say that he enjoys a lot of things when his Spanish heartthrob is with him.

Just as he promised, Miguel stayed with him, by his side, helping him to recover from his sudden bout of fatigue.

The process of recovering from fatigue will be a long process, but Kai is healing quickly, strengthen the theory that managing and training Grev became a little too much for him, along with his other duties with the BBA.

No one outside the people already involved know the real reason why Kai won't be participating in the charity event organized for next week. The reason given is that he has personal matters he needs to attend to and is regrettably unable to participate in the match.

"I hope Miguel gets back before it rains," Kai murmurs to himself as he nuzzles his cheek further in his pillow and continue to gaze outside. But as soon as those words leaves his lips, the familiar sound of raindrops pattering against his window reaches his ears.

Fortunately, a moment later the door to his bedroom opens and Miguel walks in, nice and dry.

"Good," Kai sighs. "You didn't get caught in the rain."

"Just missed it," Miguel confirms as he walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge, placing a plastic bag on the bedside table.

"What's that?" Kai asks as he slowly sits up in bed to rest on his elbows.

"Just some medicine," Miguel tells him, chuckling softly when he sees Kai crinkle his nose up in disgust. He leans forward and places a kiss to his forehead, discreetly checking Kai's temperature, happy to note that his fever is finally beginning to subside. It has been the most stubborn fever Miguel has ever come across and vows to make sure it doesn't come back.

Kai pouts cutely, "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do," Miguel tells him, training his lethal baby blues to him, knowing all to well that Kai has no defense against them. "There's a special bottle of medicine in there just for you."

"A special one?" Kai repeats, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

"You'll know when you find it," Miguel smiles a little bit mischievously before once again leaning forward, this time placing a lingering kiss to Kai's lips. "I'm going to start lunch now. And you're going to eat it."

Kai rolls his eyes, but he has a small smile on his lips none the less. Of course he's going to eat something, if he doesn't Miguel will look at him with disappointment shimmering in his bright blue eyes that will break his heart every single time. "Yes, sir."

Miguel laughs and leaves the room, leaving the door open behind him. 

Glancing over to the bag of medicine, Kai can't help but wonder what Miguel meant by a special medicine. His curiosity getting the better of him when he sees that there are four bottles instead of just three. Kai snatches the bag off the bedside table and empties it onto the bed. 

Lets see, aspirin, multi-vitamins, sleeping tablets and a white bottle.

Tilting his head to the side, Kai turns the bottle around to see that the dosage instructions has been changed to; take one every time you think of me.

Kai opens the bottle and inside is bite size pieces of chocolate hugs and kisses. There is also a note. Now, with a warm smile on his lips, Kai takes the note out, a small indication of what it might be.

The notes says; I love you.

Immediately, Kai holds the note to his heart, joyous warmth in his heart. He feels speechless, he doesn't know what to say or think. No one has ever done something so sweet and caring before.

He feels so lucky to have someone so loving and creative as his boyfriend!

Picking up the bottle again, Kai takes one of the chocolates from inside and pops the sweet treat into his mouth, after all, the instructions said he has to take one every time he thinks of Miguel.

Hmm…They won't even last the day.

Slipping his legs out of bed, Kai quietly, and slowly, heads out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen, lingering near the doorway, watching as Miguel moves around in the kitchen, making something wholesome for him to eat.

With Miguel's back to him, Kai sneaks up behind him and wraps his arms around his waist and nuzzles his cheek against his back. "I love you, too."

Placing his hands on Kai's, Miguel smiles warmly. "I told you it was special."

"Yes," Kai chuckles. "It's very special. And creative. How on earth did you ever think of something like that?"

Miguel pulls himself out of Kai's arms to turn around and places his hands on his hips while he leans against the kitchen bench. He pulls Kai against him, letting him lean against him and nuzzle into his chest. "Did you follow the instructions?" he asks as he gentle runs his fingers through the two tone blue hair.

"Of course," Kai replies, tilting his head back to gaze up at Miguel, his eyes shimmering with a sense of loving warmth. Leaning forward, he presses his lips against Miguel's, his arms slipping up his chest to wrap around his neck.

Wrapping his arms around the delicate teen, Miguel holds him close and immediately responds to the kiss, running his tongue over Kai's soft rose petal lips and slipping inside, tasting the creamy chocolate flavor. Mixing the sensual taste of chocolate with Kai's naturally exotic essence, it's intoxicating!

Slowly pulling away from the kiss, Kai rests his head against Miguel's shoulder, feeling more content and relaxed than he has ever felt in his entire life.

"Ready to have something to eat?" Miguel asks after a few moments on comfortable silence. "Or do you want me to feed you?" he adds, teasingly.

Kai can't help but laugh softly. "You better be careful, Miguel," he warns. "I might just get use to this and insist that you feed me peel grapes."

Miguel also laughs. "Do you want me to?"

* * *

All together now; Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! There, your daily dose of fluff, as required. And I promise that there will be even more fluff in the upcoming chapters.

Please review.


	8. I Worry Sometimes

Reviews: A warm and special thanks to; Dranza the Phoenix Harpie, Surrealtraversity, Tenshi of Freedom, Winter-Rae, Blaze Queenie, chrono-contract, Rapunzelle, MikaMiko, BloodRedViolet, pheonix80, JcPyrofire, Thegoldenlock, Ma.anda, RoxasIsReal13 and Kai's-Suzaku!! I don't have time to reply, but I loves you all very much! X3 _-glomps-_

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

**I Worry Sometimes**

Folding his arms over his chest, Tala stands in front of the dojo entrance, looking in as his new subordinates run laps around the building, their steps becoming more wobbly and shaky with each lap. They look like they are on the brink of exhaustion.

Good. Maybe they'll realize the pain Kai had to go through by himself.

Ever since arriving in Japan a few days ago, Tala has rarely seen anything outside the dojo. Neither has Grev for that matter. Only to train at the park or beach, but always under the watchful eye of either himself or Bryan. It doesn't bother the red head too much. He's actually having a bit of morbid fun watching the ungrateful little pigs struggle with their training. They're lucky it's only a charity match coming up. If it had been the world championship, well their training would have been a whole lot worst.

Of course, this isn't how the Blitzkrieg boys train. They haven't trained like that for years! But he's not going to tell them that.

The charity match has been moved up a couple of days. Apparently the arena they're using was overbooked or some stupid excuse like that. It doesn't matter much, though. All tickets were sold ages ago.

The sound of approaching footsteps alerts Tala to realize that someone is coming from outside. He turns, expecting to see either Hiro or Bryan; instead his gaze falls upon a certain blonde hair Spaniard.

He blinks in slight confusion. "What are you doing here?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

He hasn't seen Miguel since they carefully transported Kai back to his apartment. The blonde refused to leave his lover for no longer than five minutes, staying by his side until he had awoken from his sleep. Now that Kai is getting a little bit better, he's venturing out to get whatever Kai needs, medicine and healthy food.

"Just checking up to see how they are doing," Miguel replies as he moves to stand beside Tala, he too folding his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing with disgust as the gazes upon Grev.

The corner of Tala's mouth twitches into a smirk. "You mean how they are suffering?"

"That as well," Miguel shrugs carelessly. "The charity match is two days away. I don't know whether I want them to win, or to lose just to get the point across that they're not the best."

Tala nods his head. "I know what you mean."

Turning back to the others, Tala raises an eyebrow when he notices that Grev have stopped running. They are currently either sitting on the ground puffing and panting, or leaning against the side of the dojo. He is about to order them all back to training, but he hears a light growl coming from the teen beside him. Instead, he takes a step back, allowing Miguel to take charge of this situation. Miguel has as of yet been unable to express his anger and annoyance at the Japanese team. He knows that Miguel is just bursting to get it all out.

"They're all yours," he says, a wolfy smirk appearing on his lips when he sees a flicker of gratitude in Miguel's eyes.

Picking himself up off the ground, Ray leans against the side of the dojo, his legs still a little shaky from his intense training. He lifts his head up, his amber gaze immediately colliding with a pair of very angry sapphire eyes. "Hey, Miguel," he mutters, unsure of what to really say. "Um…How's Kai?"

"Oh, so you're worried about him now?" Miguel asks tersely, his eyes narrowing even more.

Ray winces from the ferocity of the glare. "Miguel…" he starts.

"Do you have any idea how close I am to forcing Kai onto a plane back to Spain just so he doesn't have to deal with you lot anymore?" Miguel asks as he continues to glare at the group. "You don't deserve to have someone like Kai training you. Hell, you don't even deserve Tala or Bryan. You shouldn't even be classed as world champions."

"But I'm the third world champion," Tyson argues as he pushes himself into a sitting position on the ground. "I deserved that title."

"You deserve a swift kick to the head and if you don't shut up, I'll be the one to give it to you," Miguel snaps dangerously. "And for the title, you can have it. I wouldn't want to be branded with it if it turns me into someone like you."

Tyson frowns and appears as though he is gritting his teeth. "You're just jealous," he says, lamely as he pouts and folds his arms over his chest.

A flicker of utter rage appears in Miguel's usually placid eyes. He looks ready to fulfill his threat upon Tyson when Ray suddenly steps in, trying to bring some sort of order.

"Miguel, I know you're angry," Ray says as he tries to defuse the situation. "You have every right to be. But we truly do understand what we've done wrong. We're sorry that we put Kai through so much pain. We truly are."

Miguel turns to him, his frown not lessening or deepening. "Answer me this. What would have happened if Kai didn't faint when he did? What would you have done after he finished his rant? Agree with him? Or, would you simply tell him off, calling him a bastard like you guys usually do and then blame him if you happened to lose the charity match?"

Everyone from the Japanese team physically reels back, wincing at the biting comments. Tala, on the other hand simply smirks more sadistically. He's loving this, watching someone else put Grev in their place. He always knew that Miguel is a bit protective of Kai. He can't wait to tell Bryan about this.

"You say you're sorry," Miguel says, his voice a little bit calmer now. "But I don't believe you. And until you convince me otherwise, I won't let you see Kai until he's fully healed."

With those parting words, Miguel turns on his heel and walks away, leaving one Beyblade team feeling sad and sorry for themselves.

"Jeez. You think the way they keep going on about Kai that he's the best thing that has ever happened to Beyblade," Tyson mutters quietly under his breath.

However, he didn't say it quietly enough. As soon as those words left his mouth, Tala turns his deadly eyes of ice towards him, glaring at him as if he wishes he'd burst into flames. "Tyson, 200 push-ups now," but as soon as those words pass his lips, the sky opens up and starts raining again.

"Aw, man!"

* * *

Sprawling out on the couch much like a sleeping cat, Kai idly flicks through the 999 channels on his satellite television for something that will catch his interest. Even just remotely. Just for a mere second for entertainment. Anything.

But he gets nothing. There's nothing to watch.

Sighing, he presses the off button and drops the remote to the floor, not caring the slightest where it ends up or if he has to turn the whole apartment upside down later to find it again some time later. With a small huff, he rests his chin on the arm of his chair, gazing with half lidded eyes through his rain stain window.

The charity event is a mere two days away now. It was originally four days, but now the organizers decided to move the event forward a couple of days. A daring move, especially at the last minute. The only excuse they gave is that they have overbooked the arena. It's a very vague response, but they are unable to argue with it as it's a charity match, not an officially one.

It's lucky that Tala learnt of the news, and had the intelligence to ring him. Or else he would never have found out.

Yes, he's going to the match, but he isn't going to blade, most likely. It's been a couple of weeks and he still hasn't recovered all his strength let. It's quite frustrating for him, but not as nearly as much as it probably should be. Yes, he's feeling slightly irate that he's going to miss out on the tournament, but he's feeling more carefree and complacent.

It's more like; 'Oh well, maybe next time.' than 'I have to compete no matter what!'

Of course, the fact that he's been waited on hand and foot by a gorgeous blonde hair Adonis is a very good excuse for him to stay home and cuddle up with said god on the couch.

Still, he's interested in seeing how much his Japanese teammates have improved under the command of not only Tala, but badass Bryan as well. He can't even imagine how disgruntled and haggard his friends will be the next time he sees them.

A soft chuckle pulls Kai out of his musings and he lifts his head up just a little to see his blonde hair Adonis leaning casually on the back of the couch, a smile amplifying the attractiveness of his handsome face.

"Comfortable?" Miguel asks, raising an eyebrow at how Kai is currently laying on the couch, one arm hanging over the side, the other draping over the same arm of the piece of furniture his chin is resting on and his legs curling up under his body. It doesn't look comfortable to any mere mortal, but with the casual air to Kai's persona, it must be comfortable for him.

Could Kai possibly know yoga?

"Why do I have the urge to get out a kitty toy?" Miguel adds with a teasing tone as he pushes away from the back of the furniture to move to the front instead.

Childishly, Kai pokes his tongue out at him and pushes himself up into a sitting position. He stretches his lithe frame, raising his arms over his head. He runs a hand through his hair, and then blinks when he suddenly spies a hand hovering in front of his eyes. He blinks again and turns his gaze upwards; finding himself looking upon Miguel's smiling face.

"Come," he says gently, yet firmly. "It's time to eat."

Turning his gaze back to the hand in front of him, a small content smile of his own graces Kai's lips as he slips his elegant hand within Miguel's warm and strong one. He allows the Spaniard to pull him to his feet, taking a moment to simply relish in the feel of their hands fitting perfectly together before Miguel lightly tugs on it, pulling him in the direction of the kitchen.

"What were you thinking about?" Miguel asks as he reluctantly lets go of Kai's hand to move towards the specially made food already made on the kitchen bench.

Kai leans against the dinning table and folds his arms behind his back, his eyes trailing down Miguel's back, taking in every inch of his gorgeous boyfriend. "I just wondering how the others are taking to Tala and Bryan's training methods," he explains.

Miguel chuckles softly under his breath. "From what I understand, they're doing their best not to provoke either Russian."

"I hope they've improved a bit," Kai sighs as he shakes his head. "The charity match is in a few days time."

"Oh," Miguel murmurs softly, pausing in his movements, keeping his back towards Kai. "You want to go?"

"I have to," Kai replies with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm their captain."

"I don't want you to go," Miguel says suddenly, turning away from the bench to look at Kai with a firm, yet sad gaze.

Kai finds himself blinking in surprise, before tilting his head to the side, his hands on his hips. "Miguel, it's just a charity match."

"I know that," Miguel says as he shakes his head, loose strands of gold dancing softly before his stunning blue eyes. "I just don't want them to hurt you and to make you faint again."

"I'll be fine," Kai tries to reassure, but unable to stop himself from rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. Miguel can be so protective of him sometimes, it can be kinda annoying. "I won't be blading. I promise."

Miguel stares at him for a moment before he crosses the room and gently places his hand on Kai's cheek, looking him straight in the eyes, his eyes shimmering with concern. "I worry about you."

Hearing the sadness in his voice, Kai instantly feels guilty about the irritation he was feeling earlier. He sighs and covers Miguel's hand with his own, gently nuzzling the palm against his cheek. "I know you do. I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm always causing you to worry. I don't mean to."

Placing his other hand on Kai's other cheek; Miguel takes a step closer to lean over him a little, his lips hovering just above Kai's slightly parted ones. He then closes the gap between them, pressing his lips firmly, yet lovingly against Kai's, pulling him into a kiss. Kai immediately returns the romantic display with a tender loving affection of his own.

"I worry about you because I love you," Miguel whispers as he pulls away, dropping his hands from Kai's porcelain face and enfold him into an embrace, holding him tight and protectively against his warm body.

"I love you, too," Kai breathes as he nuzzles his cheek in Miguel's shoulder as he relaxes completely against him. "Tell you what. What about a compromise? You come with me and we'll watch the entire match in the private directors' suite. What do you say?"

"I can think of better things to do with that time," Miguel replies as he runs his fingers through Kai's soft hair. "But, ok. I'll do it for you."

Kai leans back to look at him for a moment, adoration shimmering in his eyes before he leans forward again and pecks him on the lips. "I'll make it up to you. Promise."

"That you will," Miguel chuckles, tightening his grip around Kai's waist, holding him as close as humanly possible.

They continue to hold each other, simply enjoying the sanctuary of being close to each other. They feel complete and safe when they are together. They've never felt anything like this with anyone before, only each other. And that alone proves how much these two young males belong together and how right they are for each other.

They truly are soulmates.

"Now," Kai says suddenly, pulling back to look Miguel soundly in the eyes, a hint of humor in his expression. "Where are those seedless grapes you're going to peel for me?"

Miguel laughs, but heads over to the fridge none the less.

* * *

End of chapter 8! Whoo!

Tala: This mindless fluff is good and all. But where's the plot?

Don't worry, there's a twist in the next chapter at the very end. I'm not telling you what it is. You'll just have to wait and see.

Please review.


	9. Are They Truly Sorry?

Reviews: Many sincere thanks goes to; pheonix80, Surrealtraversity, Blaze Queenie, blitzkrieg demolition girl, Tenshi of Freedom, Thegoldenlock, Elves of the Moon, Shyki, Winter-Rae, PsychicTiger, chrono-contract, Destiny Kitty, BloodRedViolet, Kaz-za-15, Nameless Little Girl, Ma.anda and of course, Anime Girl23!!

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

**Are They Truly Sorry?**

Garland looks up from his book the moment he hears the noise of his front door slamming up against the wall as someone carelessly throws it open. He snaps his books shut, knowing what's coming next.

"Finished training for today?" he asks as Bryan makes an entrance, taking off his jacket and throwing it over a kitchen chair.

"Tala's shift," Bryan replies, stretching his strong arms over his head and arching his back far enough to earn him a satisfying pop. He then scratches the back of his neck for a second before throwing him on the couch. "I had the morning run this time."

"Yes, I know. You weren't there when I woke up" Garland whispers lightly, shuffling towards him.

Bryan wraps an arm around his shoulders. "Aw, did you miss me?" he asks, leaning over to hovering a mere inch from Garland's face.

He begins to move in close, then Garland surprises him by placing a finger to his lips and shaking his head. Bryan blinks, and Garland simply motions over his shoulder, towards the front door. Blinking again, Bryan pulls away from his silver hair boyfriend to glance over his shoulder, his gaze immediately colliding with the slightly shy look of a certain snow hair blader.

"Sorry," King murmurs as he steps inside, a small smile on his lips. "But Tala just rang."

Bryan moves around in his seat to face King properly. "What did he have to say?" he asks, folding his arms over his chest as he sinks back into the lounge chair, gazing at him with mild interest.

"Apparently Miguel checked up on the others," King explains, unable to stop a smile from appearing on his lips. "Had a few words with them."

"Really?" Bryan smirks, leaning forward in his seat, sadistic interest seen in his expression. "What did he say?"

King smiles more widely. "Oh, that they don't deserve to have someone like Kai. Or to be world champions. He didn't even accept an apology when Ray issued one. In fact, he threatened to kick Tyson in the head if he didn't shut up."

Laughing, Bryan falls back into his seat. "Oh man, I wish I was there."

"Tala was impressed," King says as he nods his head. "Though, I understand where Miguel is coming from. If I was in his position, I wouldn't be so forgiving either."

"That's true," Bryan mutters as he slinks an arm around Garland's shoulders, pulling him closer to him.

Taking a seat in a vacant chair, King focuses his attention at the two. "Are you two going to the charity match?"

"Yeah," Bryan replies. "Just standing at the sidelines though. Just to freak them out."

"They said that they are sorry, right?" Garland asks, shifting slightly in his position so now he has his head resting on Bryan's shoulder. "If that's true, then this match would be the perfect opportunity to prove it. Not only to Kai, but to everyone else."

"It's going to take a hell of a lot more than a sorry to convince me," Bryan mutters, his eyes becoming cold. "I'm still not convinced they're sincere yet."

"What happens if this doesn't work?" King asks suddenly. "I mean, what if after Kai gets better they go back to the way they used to be?"

Bryan presses his lips in a thin line, in silent thought. To be completely honest that exact thought has crossed his mind many times. What would happen when he and Tala have to travel back to Russia? And what about Miguel? He has commitments back in Spain. Even if he's gone for just a week, a lot can happen in seven days.

Surely, Grev can see what they've done wrong. They couldn't possibly do it again. Right?

"I really don't know," Bryan confesses solemnly.

"I guess," Garland says as he shifts slightly comfortably in his seat. "We'll just have to wait and see."

--

Sitting out on his private balcony, Kai takes a deep breath, relishing in the cool afternoon air, letting it invigorate is senses. It's been a few days since he's been outside, the furthest his been is leaning out the window. Miguel constantly worries that his chest cold might get worse if he stays too long outside.

Kai loves him and understands where he's coming from. Hell, if their roles were reserved, Kai would be doing to exact same thing. Nevertheless, it's kinda annoying being coped up inside all day and night. He needs fresh air once in a while.

With a sigh, Kai leans on the balcony, enjoying the amazing view he has of the park just across the road. That's why he chose this place.

Something catches Kai's attention from the corner of his eye and he squints to get a better look. However, they widen again when he recognizes the familiar backward baseball cap and red jacket.

Tyson presses his back against a decorative wall, nervously glancing around. Kai chuckles to himself, knowing who Tyson is trying to hide from.

A sense of curiosity settles in Kai's chest. He wonders how far the guys have gotten in their training and whether or not they're ready for the charity match. Glancing over his shoulder, Kai chews on his bottom lip. Miguel isn't here at the moment, he's out getting some groceries for dinner tonight and probably won't be back for at least half an hour.

It wouldn't hurt to duck out to have a quick word, would it?

Knowing that Miguel will probably be mad at him and turn those lethal blue eyes at him, Kai decides that he needs to satisfy his curiosity. Grabbing a jacket, Kai slips out the front door and makes his way outside. He enters the park and calculates where Tyson is and how far, quickly locating him when he hears the world champion muttering something about being ridiculous and unfair.

"Tyson," Kai says as he enters the clearing the Japanese blader is ranting in.

Tyson whips around and gives Kai a sour look. "You don't look sick," he says in an accusing tone.

"It's amazing what can happen with a few days rest, isn't it?" Kai replies coolly, wrapping his arms around his slender frame. "So, I hear you've been training. That must be tough. You haven't trained in ages."

"Training's a waste of time, Kai," Tyson replies tersely with a hint of arrogance. "I'm the champion. I don't need to train. I'm the best there is."

"You're the best at big noting yourself," Kai snaps before taking a deep breath to calm himself. "You know, none of this would have happened if you just trained when I asked you too."

Tyson snorts and folds his arms over his chest. "When you ordered me too."

Kai rolls his eyes. "I am the captain of this team. And training is a crucial part of being a blader. You know that."

Tyson continues to look at him in a sour mood, making Kai regret ever coming out here. "I can't believe you told Tala and Bryan you're too sick to train us," he says, once again his tone accusing.

"I didn't tell them anything," Kai replies stiffly.

"Yeah, right," Tyson snorts in disbelief, his brow furrowing in frustration, anger and annoyance. "You've also turned the others on me. They're treating me like this is my fault."

"In a sense, it is," Kai points out.

Tyson turns red in the face and bristles. "Hey, it's not my fault you're jealous of me! Or that you're not as strong as I am!" he yells, hoping to get under Kai's skin.

But Kai merely rolls his eyes, ignoring the obvious taunts to make him lose his cool. "And who got you to where you are today?"

"I did."

"What?"

"You heard me," Tyson snaps arrogantly. "Everyone is acting like you got us to the world championships. But if it wasn't for me being a natural pro, then you and the others wouldn't be where you are today."

"Are you completely deluded?" Kai hisses, his eyes narrowing fearsomely. "Tyson, you were a rookie when I first met you. Did you really think-"

"I'm sick of everyone saying how cool you are!" Tyson yells as he throws his arms into the air in frustration, cutting him off. "Oh, Kai. He's so cool and strong. I want to be like him. What about me? I'm the world champion. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"It means that you're a self-centered and egotistical prick, Tyson," Kai once again hisses, his blood starting to boil. "Just because you have a title next to your name doesn't mean people should automatically like you. They may have at the start because you were the under dog. But now, you're arrogant, obnoxious and continuously put people down by telling them how great you are and how far they'll have to go to beat you!"

"It's true!"

"That may be the case in some areas, but in others you're still an obnoxious little rookie."

"What?!" Tyson yells, his face darkening a shade as anger turns to utter rage. "That does it. Beybattle, right here. Right now."

"I'm not battling you, Tyson," Kai says calmly as he shakes his head.

Tyson flails for a moment. "Why not? What? Don't have Tala or Bryan to hide behind now?"

"I can't battle you for obvious reasons."

"Oh, are you finally admitting that I am stronger than you?" Tyson asks with a smirk, feeling smug with himself, knowing that this should definitely get under Kai's skin. Now he can prove to Kai that he's the better blader. "Admit it, I'm the better blader."

A look of disgust flickers across Kai's face and he scowls. "I would rather eat my own flesh than even utter those words."

"Then, battle me!" Tyson yells as he pull out his launcher.

"I said no, Tyson," Kai tells him firmly before shaking his head and turning to walk away. This was a complete waste of time. Tyson hasn't changed a bit. In fact, it seems to only make him more ill tempted and arrogant.

Sheesh, what does he have to do to get through to him that he isn't the greatest blader there is?

"Don't turn your back on me, Kai!" Tyson practically screams at the top of his lungs, growing more infuriated with each step Kai takes, moving further and further away. Gritting his teeth, Tyson suddenly aims his launcher directly at Kai. "Stop being such a bastard! Battle me!"

Turning around when Kai hears the familiar sound of a rip cord being pulled heatedly through a launcher. His eyes widen when he sees a white object heading towards him at tremendous speed, heading directly for his head.

He tries to dodge the object, but because of his exhaustion his reflexes aren't as quick as they use to be. A sharp pain explodes on the side of Kai's head, sending him reeling backwards, but somehow he manages to stay on his feet.

Stumbling back in the trunk of a large tree, Kai's hand immediately flies to the side of his head, his trembling fingers gently touching the skin over his left eye and near his temple. He pulls his fingers back and notices blood.

Thick, dark red blood.

Suddenly, his body starts to tremble and he slowly sinks to the ground, his back sliding down the rough bark of the tree. He stares at the blood on his fingertips, a sense of devastation in his eyes.

Slowly, Kai turns those eyes back towards Tyson who is staring at him in complete shock and disbelief. Tyson stumbles back a couple of steps as he slowly shakes his head, not believing what he had just done.

"What have I done?" he mutters before turning on his heel and running away, not once looking back or bothering to help Kai.

* * *

…Um, yeah. Oh, well. I guess Tyson's dead when Tala and Bryan finds out. -_skips off_- La la la laa…

Please review.


	10. Returning To The State Of Concern

Reviews: Many hugs and kisses to; pheonix80, Winter-Rae, Anime Girl23, Surrealtraversity, Mizuki hikari, Uzumi, Abyssinian Rose, Kai's-Suzaku, LadyOfTheBluePhoenix, sasuke chica, DancerInTheDark101, Tenshi of Freedom, catchmeloon, Shyki, UNpReDiCtAbLE lIfE, vlissan, Ma.anda, RoxasIsReal13, Lhune, FlamingIce94, chrono-contract, Kaz-za-15, Rapunzelle, Nameless Little Girl, kaitouahiru, Wah-Keetcha, blitzkrieg demolition girl, Blaze Queenie, MikaMiko, Thegoldenlock and orphen chica!!

Oh my goodness! 31 reviews?! I take it you liked my cliffhanger then? -_ducks a flying chair_- Shall I shut up and get on with the fic, then? Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

**Returning to the State of Concern**

Large droplets of blood seep from Kai's wound, trails down his cheek and drips on to his shoulder with a frightening amount of speed. Still sitting at the base of the tree, Kai is mildly aware that he is becoming light headed. His vision is starting to go blurry as he continues to stare at the exact spot Tyson was standing in moments before.

_He left me_ is the only thing running through his mind.

He knew that his friendship with Tyson has deteriorated over the last few months, but he had no idea that the supposedly world champion hated him that much. For Tyson to hold such anger and hatred towards him that he would willingly hurt him and then leave him is almost imaginable.

And yet, here he is, in the middle of an empty park with a severe wound to his head. If he doesn't get some help soon, he'll probably die from blood lose.

He can't let that happen. He loves Miguel too much and his boyfriend has been through enough suffering.

With his strength quickly leaving him, Kai lifts a hand and slips it into his pocket, pulling out a sleek silver phone. He doesn't know what possessed him to grab the phone, but it's lucky that he did.

Pressing a few buttons, Kai manages to locate a certain number and presses the call button. With a lot of effort, Kai brings the phone to his ear, waiting as the other end rings and rings.

Pick up, please.

Thankfully, there's a click and the ever comforting voice of his soulmate reaches his ears, somewhat managing to calm his soul just a little. Through the numbing pain, Kai can't help but give a tiny smile when the image of Miguel's handsome face pops into his mind's eye.

"Hello? Kai?" Miguel asks through the phone, his voice tittering on the edge of panic and fear. "Where are you? I thought I told you-"

"Miguel…" Kai manages to whisper painfully, his words much like a breeze, soft and barely noticeable.

"Kai?" Miguel's voice through the phone seems faint, like a distant memory, but Kai knows it's not the phones fault, rather that his mind and body is starting to shut down. Unconsciousness is slowly claiming him. He doesn't have much time left until he blacks out complete.

"Where are you?"

"The park," Kai tells him, trying his hardest to stay awake and to stay focused. "I can't stop the bleeding…"

He loses his battle however. He trails off and drops the phone from his hand onto the ground with Miguel's voice still drifting though. His head rolls to the side and he slips into unconsciousness, the blood from his wound still continuing to flow at an alarming rate.

He doesn't have much time left now…

--

Lifting his head off his lover's shoulder, Claude gazes up with worry into Hiro's face, finding a tight frown on his lips. They managed to pull together some free time to spend the evening together, but their date isn't exactly going to plan. Hiro seems nervous and fidgety about something.

"Hiro?" he gently prods. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know," Hiro replies, his frown deepening as he searches for the right words. "I just feel that there is something terribly wrong."

Claude presses his lips into a thin line, concern etching its way into his chest. He has been together with Hiro long enough to know that when there is something bothering him in such a way; it's a cause for concern. Hiro isn't who you would class as psychic; he just trusts his gut and follows his instinct.

And he hasn't been wrong, yet.

"Who is it?" he asks, knowing that it will most likely be someone they know. Hiro doesn't worry about things or events, but people.

Suddenly, Hiro freezes in his tracks, his eye wide and staring forward as color drains from his face. Before Claude has a chance to ask what's wrong, Hiro bolts forward, a name on his lips.

"Kai!"

The sudden change in character and the name being called with blatant fear startles Claude immensely. His fear grows even more when he follows Hiro. He gasps out loud and covers his mouth with his hands to stop himself from crying out. Hiro is kneeling down in front of an unconscious Kai who has blood pouring from an open wound on his forehead.

He's deathly pale and doesn't seem to be moving.

Hiro gingerly touches Kai's cheek with one hand as the other moves to check his pulse. "He's still alive," he breathes a small sigh of relief.

"Oh my god," Claude whispers as he scrambles over to Kai, kneeling down next to him, unsure of what to do. "What happened to him? What's he doing out here?"

"I don't know," Hiro replies as he grabs the sleeve of his jacket and rips it off. He folds it up and places it carefully against the wound, muttering a small apology under his breath when Kai mews in pain.

Looking to his side, Hiro notices a phone lying open by Kai's thigh and realizes that Kai must have called someone before passing out. He picks it up and throws it to Claude, who catches it with numb hands. "Call an ambulance. Kai will need hospital treatment for this injury."

With shaky hands Claude holds the phone close to his body, protecting it like it's their last life line and nods. He scrambles to his feet as he dials the numbers, starting to pace back and forth as he waits for the emergency operator to pick up.

"Kai!"

Hiro snaps his head up at the frantic voice and knows immediately that it is Miguel. He must have been the first person Kai rang, not that is any surprise. "Over here!" he replies to him and not a moment later, Miguel appears, panic and fear in his eyes.

The fear increases even more when he gaze falls upon Kai. "Kai!" he calls out in alarm, scrambling his way over to him. He quickly, yet carefully, pulls Kai into his arms, cradling him close against his body. He places his hand over the makeshift bandage on Kai's head, being mindful not to press to hard in case of any damage to his skull. He stares down at Kai's pale face for a moment, the blood draining from his own. He's as white as a sheet and feels deathly cold.

He knew he shouldn't have left him alone!

"What happened?" Miguel asks, turning a desperate gaze towards Hiro.

"You tell me," Hiro replies, his brow knotting in blatant concern and confusion. "What's he doing outside?"

"I don't know!" Miguel says, the panic, along with a sense of guilt in his voice. "I ducked out for a few minutes to pick up a few things and when I got home, he wasn't there."

"The ambulance is on its way!" Claude announces as he jogs over to the two, immediately dropping to his knees to gaze at Kai in concern. "They should be here in about five minutes."

"Lets get him out of the park," Hiro orders, helping Miguel to carry Kai in his arms. "We'll meet the ambulance at the park entrance."

"I'll run up ahead," Claude says as he climbs to his feet and takes off.

Nodding, Miguel holds Kai tenderly in his arms and carefully climbs to his feet. He then tries to move as quickly as he can't without hurting his lover any more than he already is. He can't believe this is happening. Kai's health was improving so much in such a short amount of time, he even managed to put some weight.

Than this happened…

But why? Why are these happening to Kai? He hasn't done anything wrong! He doesn't deserve this pain, this suffering. It isn't fair.

"Who would do this, Hiro?" Miguel asks, keeping a firm, yet gentle grip on Kai. "Who would want to hurt him like this?"

"I don't know," Hiro replies grimly. "Some selfish bastard, that's for sure."

"The ambulance is already here!" Claude announces as he suddenly makes an appearance.

Looking up, Hiro and Miguel sees that Claude is right, and they already have a bed out waiting for them. Miguel carefully places Kai on the white stretcher, reluctantly moving to the side to let the medical personnel do what they are trained to do. Turning his blue eyes to Hiro and Claude, Miguel feels lost. He doesn't know what to do.

"You go with Kai to the hospital," Hiro says, taking charge once again. "Claude and I will inform the others."

"Ok," Miguel replies as he climbs into the back of the ambulance, immediately taking Kai's pale hand in his.

Hiro watches until the ambulance doors close and the wailing vehicle disappears from sight and turns to the shaking teen next to him. He wraps his arms around Claude, rubbing calming circles on his back. "He'll be ok. He's in safe hands now."

With tears now flowing freely down his cheeks, Claude nods slowly and swallows thickly. He can't believe this is happening. It's like a nightmare that doesn't seem to end. Kai is a strong person, but how much can someone possibly take? He doesn't deserve any of this.

Shaking his head, Claude hastily wipes away his tears. He needs to compose himself. They still have to inform Tala and Bryan about what happened.

And they won't be happy.

--

Tala is pissed. Seriously. He has the afternoon shift and somehow he managed to let Tyson slip away. Oh, when he gets his hands on that pudgy little pig, he's going to make him suffer.

"That bastard," he growls dangerous as he folds his arms over his chest.

"He'll return," King says, trying to calm his murderous boyfriend down. "He has to come back sooner or later."

But it doesn't help Tala's mood very much. Although he would never take it out on King. He would never, ever do anything to hurt him. But, the one person he wouldn't mind inflicting pain upon right now just stumbled in through the front entrance, his hair and clothes in disarray.

"Tyson," Tala growls dangerous and stalks over to him. He reaches the shorter teen and grabs him by the collar of his jacket, pulling him up off the ground. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I…" Tyson mutters, his eyes brimming with tears and his body shaking uncontrollably against his will. "I did something stupid," he admits.

A perplex look spreads across Tala's face, taking a moment to take in Tyson's appearance. He looks like shit. His eyes are all watery and bloodshot; his face is pale, almost white.

Tala blinks. He didn't think he would scare the teen that much. Maybe he should back off a bit…

"Tala!"

The redhead snaps his head up as he drops the teen in his grip like a sack of potatoes, his eyes widening a little when he notes the urgency in the voice that can only belong to Bryan. A moment later two platinum hair teens enter the dojo grounds and race over to him.

"What?" he asks when he notes that the two have been running. "What's wrong?"

"It's Kai," Bryan says, breathless. "He's in the hospital."

"What?!" Tala practically roars, an expression of alarm on his face. He's in the hospital? But that can't be? Kai's health was improving. He continues to stare into Bryan's face, ignoring that the rest of Grev are now gathering around as well.

"What happened?" King asks, immediately grabbing a hold of Tala's arm, holding it tightly as support, alarm and concern shimmering in his visible eye.

"We don't know," Garland answers as he shakes his head, a lost and fearful expression on his face. "Hiro said he found him in the park with a head wound."

"Someone attacked him?" Tala snarls, ignoring the wince from the teen that is sitting by his feet. "Who?"

Bryan shakes his head. "We don't know. Come on, lets go to the hospital. Training this lot is no longer our top priority."

"We're coming to," Max announces, moving forward to grasps Bryan's arm, looking up at him with tears shinning in his blue eyes. "Please, I want to see him."

Bryan sighs, knowing that he can't deny the young blonde's request. He's being asking about Kai's health every day since their training begun, and he knows Max sees Kai as an older brother figure. Besides, Grev are not responsible for Kai's current condition.

"Ok," Bryan sighs as he gazes at everyone else. "But only if you behave."

Max nods his head vigorously. "I promise. We promise we won't get in the way."

"Good," Tala says as he begins herding everyone out through the front entrance. He pauses, however, when he notices that Tyson is still sitting on the ground, the exact spot where he dropped him.

"What are you doing?" he says, anger building up in his chest. "Don't you care about Kai at all?"

Tyson says nothing, merely climbing to his feet and following the others out. Tala blinks in confusion once again.

"What was that about?"

* * *

Don't worry, Tyson will get what's coming to him, just not yet. Want to make him suffer a little bit longer X3

Please review.


	11. Who Could Do Such A Thing?

Reviews: Squee! Thanks so much! Great big hugs to; Winter-Rae, blitzkrieg demolition girl, Kai's-Suzaku, Blaze Queenie, UNpReDiCtAbLE lIfE, vlissan, Ma.anda, Elves of the Moon (Lhune), Miako6, SimpleSayings, Tenshi of Freedom, orphen chica, Dranza the Phoenix Goddess, Rapunzelle, PsychicTiger, Nameless Little Girl, kaitouahiru, Lycoris Valentine, sasuke chica, pheonix80, Anime Girl23, chrono-contract, Destiny Kitty, Thegoldenlock, LunaLocket and BlckSapphire!!

Here we are, chapter 11. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

**Who Could Do Such A Thing?**

Sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair, Miguel holds his head in his hands, his profile tense yet weary. His usually exuberant blonde hair is now a listless dull yellow. Thick black bags hang under his grayish blue eyes.

In all, he looks like a wreak, which is quite understandable with his current situation. The love of his life is not only suffering from stress, exhaustion, not eating enough, a fever and sleep deprivation, but now he can add a mild concussion and a large gash on his forehead to the already long list.

Slowly, Miguel lifts his head and turns his eyes towards the fragile figure laying completely still on a stark white hospital bed. Stormy gray bangs peek out and cover a thick white bandage that is wrapped tightly around his forehead. The sound of deep breathing is the only thing that fills the room.

What kind of monster would do something like this to Kai?

Thankfully, Kai's injuries aren't that serious, so the doctors assure him, but they're serious enough by Miguel's standards. Kai has a large gash that starts in the middle of his forehead and reaches don't to his temple. It took about 10 stitches to close the wound.

The concussion, apparently, is only a mild one. It's isolated, so it shouldn't leave any long term effects. But Kai will definitely feel like shit -again- for the next couple of weeks, months even. The concussion, although mild, is still a pretty serious condition.

Kai has the concussion side effects to deal with yet. Confusion, headaches, dizziness, maybe a bit of sort-term memory loss, blurred vision and perseverating (repeating the same thing over and over, despite being told the answer each time, for example, "Was I in an accident?").

A sigh passes Miguel's lips as he unintentionally lets his mind wonder over past events. He remembers the confusion and worry he felt when he came home to find Kai missing. He doesn't like the delicate teen going anywhere by himself, especially in his less than satisfactory condition. He worries that he might faint somewhere unsafe when he's not around.

He's concern was justified when he got that phone call. The sound of Kai's voice, sounding weak and a little scared is something Miguel won't be forgetting any time soon. Even now, in the deathly silence of the room, Miguel can hear Kai's voice ring through his head. The urge to pull Kai into his arms and never let him go is almost too much for him to bare.

Not to mention the urge to take Kai back to Spain with him. He just wants to have the enigma by his side, a place where he can watch over him and protect him as much as possible.

It's been a few hours since Kai was emitted into hospital and it's now night outside. The word of Kai's condition quickly spread to the others and they are raced to the hospital, even Grev. Bryan and Tala are too concerned for Kai's well being to think about training the Japanese team.

Miguel is currently the only one in Kai's hospital room. Everyone else is either waiting outside or have wondered back home to get some rest. The two fore mention Russians are still lingering around at the hospital, hanging around like bodyguards. Miguel isn't sure where they are currently, but he knows they're not too far. They're probably outside working off some steam.

Miguel feels a sense of utter rage towards the bastard who hurt Kai, and he's usually pretty placid. He can't even begin to imagine how Bryan or Tala are coping.

A soft knock pulls Miguel out of his thoughts and he lifts his head in time to see the door open slowly and a familiar young blonde pop his head in. His usual bright eyes are now red from crying. It's been a week since Max has seen Kai after his collapse and to see him again in even worst condition was too much for the young blonde.

"Hey," Max whispers as he leans against the door in a timid and frightened fashion.

"What are you doing here, Max?" Miguel asks, his voice croaking a little from feeling tried from the emotional stress he is under.

"I just want to sit with Kai for a while," Max says in a soft voice. "Is that ok?"

Miguel takes a moment to regard the blonde's state and finds himself sighing as he nods his head. "Ok, but be quiet. He's has a concussion."

Max nods quickly and takes a seat on the opposite side of the bed that Miguel is. He sits on the edge of his chair and trains his gaze upon Kai's still form, mostly his face. The bright blue triangles really standout on his pale skin, despite the red stain on his nose and cheeks from the fever. He lifts up his hand and gently places it on Kai's, wincing at the cold and clamminess of his hand.

"Everyone is worried, you know?" Max says, breaking the silence of the room. "We do care about Kai."

"You have a funny way of showing it," Miguel says before he has a chance to reconsider and he sighs when he notices a very visible wince from Max. He presses his lips into a thin line and takes a deep breath through his nose, trying to squash the anger and frustration that is slowly rising in his chest.

It won't do anyone any good to have him taking his frustrations out on the blonde before him. He knows Max does care about Kai; he sees the enigma as a brother. But he's easily led astray by others. He's a people pleaser and more demanding the individual, the more he tries to please them; even if it means giving up his own judgments and ideals.

"I didn't know," Max whispers as a tear rolls down his cheek. "Tyson kept saying that Kai was just being a jerk and not to worry about him. He said so many times and it didn't seem to bother Kai, so I guess I thought if Kai's alright with it, then I shouldn't worry."

"Max," Miguel says with a weary sigh. "Listen…"

But Max shakes his head and leans down, laying his forehead against Kai's arms, his shoulders shaking from his cries. "This is my fault as well, isn't it?" he asks. "If Kai wasn't sick in the first place then this wouldn't have happened."

Miguel presses his lips into a thin line, unsure on how to answer that. It a way, what Max said is true, but it isn't entirely his fault. Several factors are the cause of this.

Even so, it doesn't make this ordeal any easier.

"Don't worry," Miguel says to the small blonde in a reassuring tone. "Kai will be fine."

The person who did this to Kai on the other hand…

--

Stepping out into the cool night air, Garland lets his blue eyes survey his surroundings for a moment, searching for someone important to him. He quickly spies him leaning against a brick wall, one arm tightly over his chest as the fingers of his other pinches the bridge of his nose, a deep frown marring his features.

Silently, Garland makes his way over to him and Bryan quickly notices. As soon as he is within reach, Bryan pushes away from the wall and pulls Garland into his arms, holding him tenderly and protectively against his chest.

The two simply stand in complete silence, desperately clinging to each other. Blatant concern and anger shows in Bryan's tense profile, a sense of murderous rage burning in his eyes. He's trying his best to hold it all in and having Garland with him helps immensely. It doesn't matter how angry he gets, it all dies away the moment Garland touches him softly, whispering lovingly to him to calm down.

"Are you ok?" Garland asks softly, almost afraid to break the silence between them.

Bryan draws in a sharp breath before releasing it slowly. "I'm seriously pissed off," he replies in a stressful tone.

"I know," Garland sighs wearily as he nuzzles his cheek against his chest, his fingers curling around the fabric of his jacket.

He's eyes soften with a sense of sadness when he recalls the sight of Kai lying on the bed, his skin as pale as the bed sheets that are covering him. It doesn't seem right. It looks wrong, having the invincible Kai lying on a hospital bed, unconscious. "He's been through so much. It isn't fair."

"No, it isn't," Bryan replies, tightening his arms around him, no doubt thinking the same thing he is.

Garland slowly lifts his head off Bryan's chest to look him in the eyes, concern and a sense of fear shimmering in his own. "Who would do something like this?"

Bryan presses his lips into a thin line and draws in another deep breath. "I don't know. But when I get my hands on him he won't do anything like this again. Ever."

Garland nods in agreement.

--

Sitting with his back against a solid cold wall, Tala tightens his grip around the waist of the slender teen next to him. He sighs and rests his chin on top of the mass of white hair, breathing in deeply to relish in the comforting scent. He runs his fingers through the silky tresses, his thoughts drifting to his best friend, who is currently lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

Miguel is watching over him, of course. Tala can't even begin to imagine the torment the Spanish blonde is going through. It's tough enough to learn that your lover is sick; it's hell to find him bleeding profusely in the park a mere week or so later.

King sighs in his sleep, nuzzling his cheek further into Tala's chest as Tala subconsciously tightens his arm around him.

Tala is mad. Oh, he's mad as hell. And there's no doubt Bryan is as well. But there's a problem the two of them must face. They need to vent their anger, but they don't know who's responsible for Kai's attack, so they can't take it out on that arrogant bastard! How dare some useless punk hurt Kai and think he can get away with it? What was he trying to do in the first place? Kai wasn't mugged, nothing was stolen. Kai wasn't hurt in any other way. Maybe it was an accident…

No, it couldn't have been an accident. No one would leave someone behind like that to bleed out. The attack must have been intentional.

Tala grits his teeth and narrows his eyes. It doesn't matter. He's going to find this bastard and make him pay. Oh, he's going to make him suffer. The torment he put Grev through would be a mere walk in the park compared to what he has in mind for Kai's attacker.

They'll wait until Kai wakes up and then he and Bryan will go hunting.

--

Hiro pops his head into Tyson's room, his brow knotting in concern when he spies his little brother sitting on the floor, his back leaning against his bed with his legs sprawled out in an undignified manner. His eyes are staring blankly at a spot on the floor, blinking only once or two every few minutes.

"Tyson?" Hiro says, hoping to gain the younger male's attention.

But Tyson doesn't even blink; he merely lifts his head a little and stares at Hiro with his unblinking eyes. The blank stare unnerves Hiro and his frown deepens. "You should go to bed and get some sleep," he suggests.

He blinks in confusion when Tyson simply pushes himself to his feet, turns around and then falls onto his bed, not uttering a word. Not complaint, no comment. Not even a grunt. It's all too strange.

Hiro silently closes the door, to much in a state of shock to say anything. He's never seen Tyson act like this before. He knows that the recent turn of events -rushing Kai to the hospital after being attacked- is pretty dramatic, but he never expected his little brother to react so badly. Is it guilt, concern or a bit of both? Or something else entirely?

"Hiro?"

Turning around, Hiro finds Claude leaning against the door frame to his room, cutely rubbing his eye with the palm of his hand. He walks over to his boyfriend and pulls him into his arms. "You should try and get some rest," he says.

Claude immediately grasps onto his shirt, holding tight. The whole ordeal is stressful for him and he knows it is for Hiro as well, even though he refuses to show it. He's trying to stay strong for everyone's sake, but if he doesn't take it easy soon, he might have a break down. And Claude doesn't even want to think about what he would do if that happened.

"So should you," he says with a firm voice. "What are you doing up, anyway?"

"I was just checking up on everyone," Hiro explains with a weary sigh. "Tyson's acting strange."

Claude wants to comment that Tyson is strange, period, but despite everything, Tyson is still Hiro's little brother. "Maybe he's finally realizing all the nonsense he's put Kai through?"

"I don't know," Hiro says as he glances over his shoulder. "I can't help but think it's something else…"

* * *

A pretty pointless chapter, wasn't it? Don't worry, Kai wakes up in the next chapter. But will he remember anything…? Just have to wait and see!

Please review.


	12. A Lapse of Memory

Reviews: Many wonderful thanks goes to; chrono-contract, blitzkrieg demolition girl, orphen chica, Simple Sayings, Tenshi of Freedom, Ma.anda, vlissan, Anime Girl23, PsychicTiger, Rapunzelle, Winter-Rae, kaitouahiru, Lhune, Kai's-Suzaku, or-chan and Blaze Queenie!!

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

**A Lapse of Memory **

Wading through the thick darkness of his subconscious, Kai finally starts to feel as if he's slowly returning to reality. He's head is starting to throb, his eyes feel like someone glued them shut and his body feels heavy.

"Kai?" A voice seems to whisper through the darkness, a echo becoming lost in the thundering pain of his mind.

Just what the hell is going on? He's never felt this bad before. What happened? What's going on?

"Kai, if you can hear me, open your eyes, please."

Mentally reaching out for the voice, Kai tries his best to comply with the desperate command. But it appears that it will take most of his strength to move his eyelids. After an intense battle against the darkness, Kai manages to crack open his eyes, only to be blinded by an intense light. He hisses in discomfort and pain, and closes his eyes quickly.

Suddenly the bright light dims a little and Kai feels something warm and comforting lay against his cheek. "It's ok," the same voice from before soothes to him. "Open your eyes now."

Slowly, Kai eases his eyes open again, blinking a few times to try and rid himself of his blurry vision, however, its rather stubborn and doesn't seem to want to leave. With a groan of annoyance passing his lips, Kai turns his hazy gaze to a familiar blonde figure that seems to be hovering over him.

He immediately recognizes the figure. "Miguel?" he whispers softly, his throat a little dry. He wants to lift his hand and touch him to see if he is real, but his arm feels like lead at the moment so reluctantly opts to stay still.

Miguel immediately mutters a small sigh of relief, his eyes softening as he runs his thumb over Kai's cheek that he his holding. "Yes, it's me," he replies softly, feeling immense relief that Kai remembers him.

Kai licks his lips and winces when he swallows. His throat feels like a desert. And fortunately, Miguel seems to pick up on his discomfort, helping him to sit up with an arm around his shoulders as the other reaches over to grab a glass of water.

"Here," he says as he places the glass to Kai's lips.

Kai manages to regain some control over his limbs and raises his hands to touch the glass as he tries to resist the urge to take large gulps of the soothing liquid. He gently pushes the glass away when he's done and rests his head against Miguel's shoulder, his eyes slipping close for a moment as he tries to regain his bearings.

He finally lifts his head after a few moments of silence and receives a gentle kiss to his forehead. A look of confusion appears on his face when Miguel whispers softly into his ear that he's glad he's ok.

"What happened?" Kai asks as he turns his hazy vision to glance around the room and immediately feels a sense of dread when the main color he sees is white. White walls, white bed, white floors.

He's in the hospital?

"Why am I in the hospital?" Kai asks in alarm as he struggles to sit up on his own. "What's going on?"

"Please, calm yourself, Kai," Miguel says, concern abundant in his voice when he wraps his arms around his lover again and pulls him back against his chest, cradling him gently. "It's ok, you're going to be just fine."

Kai tilts his head back to try and stare into Miguel's eyes, alarm simmering in his own. "Miguel?"

"I'm here," Miguel whispers as he places another tender kiss on his brow. "It's ok."

"What happened?" Kai asks once again, desperation creeping into his voice. "Please tell me."

Miguel guiltily looks off to the side and a deep sigh passes his lips. "…You were attacked while I was out."

"Attacked?" Kai repeats as alarm gives way to panic as he tries to recall anything. The last thing he remembers was Miguel gently kissing him and telling him that he's going to be gone for a few minutes.

Was he attacked in his own home? How?

"I…I don't remember," Kai whispers as he squeezes his eyes shut, a look on pain appearing on his face.

Miguel immediately pulls the distress teen closer against him, holding him protectively in his arms. "You don't remember a thing?" he asks, alarm creeping into his own voice.

Kai clutches his hand in between his hands and shakes his head rapidly. He runs his fingers over the bandages, but doesn't seem to pay them any mind. "…I don't know. I…the last thing I remember is you telling me that you're going to duck out for a few minutes."

"It's ok," Miguel says as he rubs soothing circles on Kai's back in an attempt to calm him down. "You don't remember the park?"

"The park?" Kai asks, snapping is head up to look blearily up at his boyfriend. "I…I remember looking down at it over the balcony, if that's what you mean?"

Miguel silently shakes his head and continues to hold Kai close. He rests his chin on top of Kai's head, running his hand up and down Kai's arm in a soothing manner. The doctors did say that there was a chance Kai could suffer from short-term memory lost. It's not uncommon for someone who experience head trauma not to recall the events leading up to the injury. Sometimes they don't recall the event at all, or will remember a few weeks later.

Miguel is feeling torn at the moment. He's glad Kai doesn't remember the attack itself, but can't help but feel a little irate that he doesn't know who his attacker was. They can't let the guy get away with what he's done.

Tala and Bryan certainly won't want to do that.

"What am I doing at the hospital?" Kai asks, confusion still evident in his voice.

Miguel's eyes soften a little, remembering that a side effect of a concussion is having the patient sometimes repeat themselves. "You were attacked."

Kai winces at the response, seemingly remembering that answer before. "I have a concussion, don't I?"

"Only a mild one," Miguel is quick to reply. "There shouldn't be any lasting side effects."

"…I'm sorry," Kai sighs deeply. "Are you angry?"

"Not at you," Miguel is once again quick to reply as he gives a little shake of the head. "I could never be angry at you."

Another sigh passes Kai's lips as he turns from his position and leans against Miguel's chest, nuzzling his cheek against his should. "But you are angry."

"Of course I am. Someone hurt you. And when I find out who it was…" Miguel trails off, guilt once again returning to his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," he whispers softly.

Kai shifts again in his position, pivoting in his bed to face Miguel. He places his hands on his chest and stares into his eyes, despite the blurriness in his own. "It's not your fault," he says with a firm voice. "Please stop blaming yourself."

Miguel gently cups the side of Kai's face and leans forward so they're nose to nose. "I promised I would take care of you. And I failed at that."

"The hell you did," Kai says in a stern voice, a pout forming on his lips. "I'm still here, aren't I? Don't you see? You saved me, you've been saving me for years. You saved me from my loneliness and self doubt the moment we became friends."

A loving and grateful smile appears on Miguel's lips. "Even with a concussion, you know exactly what to say."

"No concussion is going to stop me from telling the truth."

--

In the bleak darkness of his room, Tyson sits on the edge of his bed, his eyes staring at his bedroom floor, not blinking. He's eyes seem dull, like empty voids. Despite his blank look on his face, he is inwardly suffering from a huge array of emotions. Guilt, disbelief and fear are the more dominate feelings, though.

"What's wrong with me?" he whispers to himself. "I could have killed him."

What on earth possessed him to do such a thing to Kai?

He still can't truly grasp what he had done. He was so angry, a rage he never felt before. He wasn't thinking much at all when he pulled out his blade and launched it at Kai. He just wanted to make Kai feel the pain he went through with having Bryan and Tala as his new trainers. He just wanted to prove to him that he was better than him.

But the only thing he proved to Kai was that everything Kai said about him was right. He is an obnoxious and egotistical brat.

He just wanted to blame Kai for his current situation, regardless of all the facts and evidence that he had done nothing wrong. He just wanted someone to blame. Someone who wouldn't retaliate.

Someone who isn't like him…

But seeing Kai fall against the tree, lifting a shaky hand to his temple as blood gush from his wound -the wound Tyson himself caused- and then stare at him with betrayal and fear in his eyes. It was like a slap to the face for Tyson.

So, what does he do? He ran away. He just up and left Kai there, bleeding heavily from a head wound. In a sense, he left them there to…die.

What would he have done if no one found Kai and he did die? He's own life would have been over as well. He would have been a murderer.

He can't even imagine what life would be without Kai, despite recalling numerous times where he's told the enigma things would have been better off if he was gone. It's not true. Ever since Kai had fallen ill, things have been hectic around the dojo without him to guide everyone. He's always been the voice of reason through every argument, the solution to every problem and the shoulder to lean on whenever something goes wrong.

They need him.

So, why did he treat the enigma so badly? Is it because he's actually the one that's jealous?

Kai, he has just about everyone going for him. He's beautiful, radiant and kind hearted. He has a wonderfully loving boyfriend, protective childhood friends, countless people who respect him and is, perhaps, the richest guy on the planet. He's successful, talented and generous.

Everything Tyson wish he could have.

He's the jerk, not Kai.

He knows and understand the error of his ways now. And he really is sorry for what he has done. Will he have a chance to make it up to him? Will Miguel or any of the blitz boys let him?

They'll probably beat him into a pulp when Kai tells him what he has done.

"Tyson!" Max calls out as he dashes into his room uninvited. "Kai woke up! Miguel says he's going to be just fine!"

Tyson's eyes widen in fear and he feels his body begin to tremble. "Did…did he say anything?" he asks with a shaky voice. "About the attack?"

"No," Max sighs with disappointment in his voice and shakes his head sadly. "He doesn't remember."

"He…doesn't remember?"

* * *

X3 Hmm, it seems Tyson is finally starting to see the light.

Please review.


	13. To Forgive Is To Forget?

Reviews: Big, big thanks go out to; blitzkrieg demolition girl, Lirin Sama, FlyingShadow666, Lhune, orphen chica, BloodRedViolet, Tenshi of Freedom, Crisis Crest, ElleChan, vlissan, Nameless Little Girl, or-chan, Winter-Rae, Shyki, pheonix80, LunaLocket, Kayland Elric, Anime Girl23, Ma.anda, kaitouahiru, Thegoldenlock, Blaze Queenie and Kai's-Suzaku!!

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

**To Forgive Is To Forget?**

"The others wish to see you."

Turning his attention to his blonde haired lover, Kai can't help but wince at the prospect of his usually loud teammates piling into his hospital room to see how he is. He knows that they are going to fuss over him, asking if he's alright and most importantly, who did this to him.

Bryan and Tala have already asked him. They snuck into his room while the doctors were out to see how he was doing and to find out a bit of information so they can go hunting. But, unfortunately, Kai is unable to give away any more information then they already knew.

It's frustrating, knowing that the prick who did this to him, who attacked him and left him for dead is still out there. Did his attacker have a vendetta against Kai alone, or will he attack others?

"Do you want me to tell them that you're resting?" Miguel asks, nothing but concern shimmering in his blue eyes when he notices how tired Kai appears. He's only been awake for a few hours now and the doctors had only just left him alone to get some rest.

Tilting his head to the side, Kai stares into his boyfriends eyes and is unable to stop a swell of guilt from appearing in his chest. He has caused his sexy lover so much trouble the last few weeks, and yet Miguel is still by his side.

Despite everything he's been through, Kai feels lucky to have someone as wonderful as Miguel by his side, helping him to get better. He's kind and loving, strong and protective. He's a patient nurturer, and yet a wonderful protector and provider. He's the exact balance that Kai needs to have in his life. He needs to have someone bold and strong by his side, but also someone who is gentle and loving to hold him and love him for who he is.

Miguel is his best friend, his lover, his protector and his heavenly appointed soulmate.

He's everything he ever needs, but more than he ever dreamt of.

Of course, he can't forget about his other great friends. Tala and Bryan, going out of their way to help him train his Japanese teammates and teach them a lesson in gratitude. Garland and King, for helping him keeping the two said Russian's in line when they become a little too mischievous even for him. Hiro for trying to take some of the work load from him to make life a little bit easier. And of course Claude, who helped him come to terms with his feelings for Miguel in the first place.

Yes, he might be sitting in a hospital bed, but he still feels lucky.

Perhaps it's time for him to forgive Grev for their disrespect and unwilling abuse? After all, there is no point in holding onto to resentment for the past. Surely, they've have done some growing up while under the command of both Bryan and Tala.

"No, I'll be fine," Kai replies as he struggles to sit up in bed. He offers a small smile when Miguel immediately wraps an arm around his shoulders and helps him up. He leans him against his warm chest as he hurriedly props up the pillows behind Kai's back, making it as comfortable as he can.

"Thank you," Kai says as Miguel lays him back down. His eye lids suddenly feel heavy. They always do whenever Miguel is near by. He has this warm and comforting aura about him that makes Kai just want to lay in his arms forever.

Miguel gently strokes the side of Kai's face with his hand as a hint of guilt makes it's way onto his face. "Are you sure you're up to this? I don't mind telling them-"

"I'll be fine," Kai says, cutting him off by placing a finger to his lips. "I haven't seen them for a while now and I'm sure they're getting frantic."

"Yeah…" Miguel says, his voice sounding a little distant. He gazes upon Kai's face for a few moments before leaning forward and placing his lips against his in a gentle kiss.

A small sigh passes Kai's lips when Miguel pulls away. It seems that he isn't he only one who is feeling guilty about this whole ordeal. For someone like Miguel, who promised that nothing bad would happen to him ever again, it must be hard.

Kai tries to put himself in Miguel's position and realizes that if Miguel was laying in this hospital bed instead of him, he'd be hysterical. Never mind letting Bryan and Tala deal with his attacker, Kai would stalk the streets himself!

"Miguel," Kai says, reaching up his hand for Miguel to gently cradle in his own. "Please, stop blaming yourself. I don't want to be the one responsible for that guilty look anymore."

Miguel suddenly moves forward and pulls Kai into his chest, wrapping his arms around his slender frame. "I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I promised that I would look after you."

"Miguel…" Kai whispers as he buries his face into the crook of his neck. "You are looking after me. And I think you're doing a wonderful job. I've never felt this safe until I met you."

"I came so close to losing you," Miguel whispers, sounding on the verge of crying, his arms tightening a little bit more. "I don't want to go through that ever again. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Kai replies, a light sheen of tears pricking at his eyes, a lump forming in his throat.

He leans back to gaze into Miguel's face and notes that his eyes are shimmering with unshed tears as well. Tilting his head to the side and letting his eyes slip close, Kai parts his lips a little, indicating to Miguel that he wants him to kiss him. Miguel, being the intelligent being that he is, quickly catches on and leans forward, pressing his lips firmly, yet gently against Kai's waiting ones.

A soft mew of contentment is heard from Kai when Miguel loving runs his tongue along Kai's bottom lip before slipping inside, taking his time to explore every inch of his mouth, drawing out each caress to prolong the pleasurable sensation for the both of them.

The kiss is deep and passionate, long and loving, neither of the two wanting it to end. Each kiss, each pleasurable caress is deliberate and meaningful. It's a loving display between two soulmates as they give their hearts and love to each other in a display as old as time.

A small cough behind the two interrupts the passionate kiss, causing Miguel to jump back in surprise and Kai to fall back against his pillows. They both snap their attention to the door, blushes making their ways onto their faces when the faces of everyone they know linger in the door way, the figure of a lanky platinum haired Russian the prominent.

"Sorry," Bryan says with a apologetic grin as he steps into the room, the other piling in behind him. "But the doctor said we could see him, and…"

"It's ok," Miguel says as he takes a moment to look into everyone's face. He sees a hint of amusement in Tala's expression, embarrassment in King and Claude's, sympathy in Hiro and Garland's but nothing but utter concern in the member's of Grev, all expect one.

Furrow his brow in annoyance, Miguel turns his attention back to the lanky Russian. "Where's Tyson?"

"Bathroom," Bryan replies, giving a careless shrug. "He hasn't been looking too well."

Miguel raises an eyebrow in question and is about to ask for further details when he notices Max take a step further into the room, his eyes glued to the bed. "Are you feeling ok, Kai?" he asks.

Kai pinches the corner of his bed sheet in embarrassment as everyone turns their eyes on him. "I've been better," he admits. "But I'll be ok."

Feeling the tension in the room, Miguel sighs as he stares at the younger blonde and feels his gaze soften a little. Maybe this lot has been through enough. They seem genuinely cornered for him now. "It's ok," he said to him. "You can go."

Max easily catches the meaning of those words and quickly crosses the room to throw his arms around Kai and pull him into a hug as he cries softly into his chest, his shoulders shaking from the sobs. "We're sorry," he whispers into his chest.

"I know," Kai whispers in reply, a soft look appearing on his face as he strokes his fingers through Max's hair much like a parent figure would. "And I forgive you. Just promise me you won't do it again."

"I promise," Max quickly replies, wrapping his arms tighter around Kai's waist.

After hearing those words, the thick tension seems to dissipate and quickly the rest of his teammates flock around his bed, all of them offering a small word of apology. There are no long winded speeches of how stupid they've been but that is fine. Sometimes the smallest apology is the most heartfelt.

Wading his way through the masses, Garland throws his arms around Kai's neck and hugs him with a sigh of relief. "We're glad you're going to be ok," he whispers into his ear.

A smile appears on Kai's lips as he returns the hug, his mind falling back onto the previous thoughts of how lucky he truly is. "I'm sorry that I scared everyone."

"Just don't do it again," Garland jokes as he pulls away.

"Oh, it won't be happening again," Miguel says firmly as he walks over to Kai's bed, taking his hand in his. "I'll make sure of it."

A small chuckle radiates through the group, but suddenly they become quiet.

"Are you sure you don't remember a thing?"

A groan of annoyance passes Kai's lips as he places his hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. Since waking up with a concussion, everyone, Miguel, the doctors and especially Bryan and Tala, have been asking him over and over again who did this to him. Who is the one responsible for putting him in the hospital?

Who tried to kill him?

"I've already told you," Kai says in exasperation, his knotting into a grimace when his head is starting to pound from an increasing headache. "I don't remember even being in the park, let alone what happened there."

"I think that's enough for now," Miguel interrupts when he senses the irritation in Kai's voice and turns his gaze towards the group of bladers. "Lets give Kai time to rest, then maybe he can tell us more."

"Of course," Hiro says in a sympathetic tone as he begins to usher everyone out of the room. "He's been through enough already. Remember, you guys have a charity match coming up. You need to train."

"You guys are still doing it?" Kai asks, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yeah," Ray nods as he flashes him a neko grin. "We're doing it for you. We want you to know that we really do appreciate you for everything you've done."

Those words not only earned Ray a smile from Kai, but from Miguel and the two Russians. "Well, in that case you better win," Tala says as they head outside.

"I'm going to have a few words with doctor to see when I can get you out of here," Miguel says as he leans forward and kisses Kai on the lips. "I hate hospitals as much as you do."

Sinking against the pillows, Kai looks up at Miguel with a sleepy expression on his face. "I can always break out if he says no."

For the first time in many days, Miguel's expression brightens as he gives a chuckle. He pulls the blankets up to Kai's chest and kisses him softly again before exiting the room, shutting the door behind him as quietly as he can.

Kai releases a deep breath as he closes his eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake him. It's been a long day for him, answering the doctor's questions, dealing with his teammates, reassuring Miguel that none of this is his fault.

Another sigh escapes his lips. He really wish he could tell Miguel and the others why he was in the park and who attacked him, but he just can't seem to bring up any mental images. The last thing he recalls is Miguel kissing him before leaving to do a bit of shopping.

A sudden hand on his shoulder jolts Kai out of his thoughts and back into reality. The hand is small and clammy against his skin and his arm physically winces as if he just got zapped by electricity. Opening his eyes, Kai finds himself staring into the oh-so familiar voice of his biggest problem and greatest critic, Tyson Granger.

"Tyson?" he says, confusion in his voice as to why he's here. He struggles to sit up as he looks around the room and notices that no one else is here. He then recalls that Tyson wasn't with the group when they first entered. "What are you…?"

Suddenly, Tyson leans forward and grabs his wrist, looking almost frantic as he stares into his eyes with desperation shimmering with those mahogany depths. "You don't remember?"

"Tyson?" Kai questions with a sense of unease in his voice. "Let go, you're hurting me."

Suddenly, Kai's other hand flies up to touch his bandage around his forehead, his eyes widening as he tries to pull his wrist away, sinking further into the hospital pillows by doing so. Flashes of Tyson's angry face bombard his mind and he whimpers as if from physical pain when he sees a familiar white blade heading straight towards him. The pain of impact, the fear that me might not make it to see Miguel again, the utter betrayal that his own teammate would have him so much to cause physical harm. It all comes rushing back to him.

"You did this," he whispers, fear growing in his chest when he can't remove his wrist from Tyson's grip.

Great. He's alone in a hospital room with the very teen who put him in here.

What's he going to do now?

* * *

Uh oh, Kai remembers and no one else is there. What will happen? You'll just have to wait and see!

Please review.


	14. Moment of Truth

Reviews: Thankies to; blitzkrieg demolition girl, Dranza the Phoenix Goddess, Uzumi, Lirin Sama, Thegoldenlock, Lhune, Tenshi of Freedom, orphen chica, vlissan, Simple Sayings, Winter-Rae, BloodRedViolet, Wahkeetcha, LunaLocket, Destiny Kitty, pheonix80, lessira, Rapunzelle, Nameless Little Girl, kaitouahiru, chrono-contract, Anime Girl23, ElleChan, Kai's-Suzaku, Ma.anda, LoNeLy aTHRuN ZaLa, Blaze Queenie and MikaMiko!

Aw, did I leave it on a cliffhanger? I'm sorry…X3 Mwahahaha!

Warnings: A bit of swearing.

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**Chapter 14:**

**Moment Of Truth**

"He's not here, either," Hiro mutters quietly to himself. After leaving Kai's hospital room, Hiro decided to search for his wayward brother, who's demeanor is becoming more erratic by the minute. He checked the bathroom first, but he wasn't there. The canteen came next, but that too lacked his brother's presence.

Where the hell is he?

"Hey, Granger." Looking up, Hiro can't help but let a sigh of annoyance pass his lips when he notices a certain platinum haired Russian make his way over to him. He soon remembers that Bryan called him Granger, a name he refers to whenever he's pissed off about something.

And he always seemed to be pissed off about something.

"Where that ton of laird gone?" Bryan asks as he approaches.

Hiro presses his lips into a thin line. Bryan certainly doesn't mince his words, does he? Ok, so Bryan is annoyed with Tyson, that's fine, but can't he refrain himself from calling his brother names while in front of him?

"I don't know," Hiro quickly replies, glancing over his shoulder to look at his surroundings again. "He isn't here."

Bryan folds his arms tightly over his chest, his brow furrowing in annoyance. "Did he take off again?"

"I'm a little worried about him," Hiro admits, pressing his lips into a thin line again, a habit he has when he's feeling intense frustration. He knows Tyson isn't exactly Bryan's favorite person at the moment, and he can't exactly blame him. But even so, Tyson is still his little brother, no matter how many people he's annoyed in the past. His family and they should always be there for each other.

"He hasn't been acting much like himself the last few hours," Hiro says, pausing for a moment to try and find the right words to explain Tyson's behavior.

"That's what we've been trying to achieve over the last week, Granger," Bryan replies with a flick of his tongue as he continues to stare at the floor with a heated gaze, no doubt the frustrations of the last few hours still eating away at him and his patience.

Hiro draws in a sharp breath through his nose, shutting his eyes for a moment. He knows that Tyson's personality needed an adjustment, but he didn't want his little brother's mood to change so erratically. He's like a ghost now, not a word, not a noise. Just drifts in and out.

The biggest change to Tyson's personality is that he hasn't uttered a word about Beyblade or had a bite to eat. And for someone who can't go without a bit of chocolate every now and again, it's a rather dramatic change.

Surely, this isn't what Bryan and his partner in crime was hoping for, was it?

Hiro furrows his brow and folds his arms over his chest tightly. "I thought you wanted to teach him a lesson on gratitude, not shatter his spirit."

Snapping his head towards the older male, Bryan's frown deepens as he casts Hiro a look of confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"He hasn't strung two words to me since," Hiro explains, lifting an arm off his chest to pinch the bridge of his nose. "It's like his not there anymore."

Bryan tries to process these words, the gears in his mind quickly turning, repeating images of the past of what he, along with Tala, could have done to turn Tyson into a shadow of his former self.

"He was his obnoxious self when Tala and I were training him," Bryan tells him. "He was adamant that he did nothing wrong. And the last time I saw him, which was the morning before Kai was attacked and he stuck his tongue out at me. He didn't seem any different then."

Hiro scratches his cheek, mulling over this piece of information. "Something must've happened that afternoon, then."

"That afternoon, Kai was attacked," Bryan practically spits, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He folds his arms tightly over his chest again and presses his lips into a thin line, chewing on the inside of his mouth. His anger and rage is making an appearance again. Where's Garland when you need him?

"Although," Bryan carries on, kicking at something imaginary on the floor in front of him. "Tala said that Tyson skipped practice that afternoon, only to have him appearing a few hours later, muttering something about doing something stupid."

"Doing something stupid?" Hiro repeats. He stares at the floor, appearing deep in thought. Tyson admitting doing something stupid must be the reason why his sudden his attitude did a 180. What could he possibly have done that would result in him suddenly turning into this blank, expressionless ghost?

Wait…Hiro snaps his head up, a sense of realization in his eyes. He remembers the doctor saying something about Kai's wound being clean, like a cut from a knife or a blade.

Or is that a Beyblade?

"Oh God, no," Hiro whispers, his eyes widen with a feeling of disbelief and betrayal as he covers his hand with his mouth. He suddenly slumps his profile forward and clutches at the material over his heart with his other hand, finding it difficult to breath.

This is wrong. Not Tyson, not his baby brother. He couldn't do something like this, could he?

Is…is Tyson the one responsible for the attack on Kai?

"Hey, are you all right?" Bryan asks, his hands hovering above Hiro's back, unsure what to do. "What's wrong?"

"Tyson," Hiro manages to gasp out. "He…didn't…"

A look of confusion appears on Bryan's face as he tries to decode Hiro's mutterings. Then, his eyes suddenly widen in realization before they seem to flash in anger. A low and dangerous growl erupts from his throat as he abruptly turns on his heel and powers through the hospital.

"I'll fucking kill him!"

--

"Ah, no," Kai whimpers as more flashes of memories bombard his mind. He tugs desperately at his wrist with his hand, trying to pry Tyson's fingers off of him. His iron like grip is cutting into his skin, feeling like he's trying to cut off the circulation.

Oh god, this is not happening. This has to be some sort of a nightmare. He's stuck in the hospital, in an isolated and private room with multiple aliments and with Tyson Granger for company, the very teen who put him in here in the first place.

What's he doing here? Is he here to hurt him again? He has already attacked him once, what's stopping him from trying again?

With his heart pounding loudly in his chest, Kai can feel his fear rise higher and higher. His panic grows when he realizes that due to his exhaustion and injuries, he is unable to defend himself.

"Let go," Kai demands, his fingers clawing desperately at Tyson's, trying to pry them away.

He finally manages to free his wrist and winces when he sees a thick red marking encircling his entire wrist. That will most likely leave a bruise, especially in his current condition.

Kai sinks back against the pillows, cradling his wrist in his hand as he keeps his gaze directly at Tyson, fearing that if he turns away for even a second, the Beyblade champion may strike.

Tyson suddenly bows his head, his shoulders shaking erratically. Kai wonders what the teen is doing but before he can either question him or tell him to get out, Tyson suddenly lunges forward and hugs him, burying his face into his shoulder. Kai emits a startle cry as Tyson pulls him into his arm. His eyes widen a fraction more when he feels something wet against his neck.

Is Tyson…crying?

"I'm sorry," he whispers against his neck, his voice heavy with desperation. He appears almost frantic.

"What?" Kai mutters in disbelief before uttering a small cry of pain when Tyson tightens his grip on him. Suddenly, a streak of white hot pain streaks from his temple and seemingly into his brain. He soon realizes that Tyson is unwilling touching his injury, aggravating it further.

"I didn't mean it," Tyson continues to ramble against his shoulder, but the pain Kai is currently experiencing, he's in no mood for apologies. Irrational fear feels his well-being and the intense need to get away quickly overrides anything else.

"Stop it," Kai whimpers as his sight starts to turn blurry again. He places his hands on Tyson's chest and tries to push him away. "Let go, you're hurting me."

Tyson pulls back, but keeps his grip on Kai's upper arms, giving him a small shake of desperation, his eyes wide with fear and guilt. "Kai," he starts, but Kai quickly cuts him off.

"No," he says as he shakes his head, his own sense of desperation appearing. He just wants to get away from Tyson, the fear and disbelief of Tyson attacking him with his very own blade fresh in his mind. He lets out another whimper when more pain seem to pierce his brain.

"I don't want to hear it," Kai says, his body slumping forward as fatigue begins to take control. He knows he's on the verge of fainting, but he refuses to faint while Tyson's in the room. "Just let go of me. Please."

"I'm sorry," Tyson continues to apologize, his voice holding yet more desperation within.

"Just stop it," Kai says in defeat, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've had enough."

Suddenly, the door opens and Miguel steps in. He blinks his blue eyes for a moment, taking in the scene. Tyson has Kai by the arms in a death like grip, while Kai seems on the verge of falling asleep. It takes him a half second to realize what's going on before promptly pushing Tyson to the side harshly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Miguel demands before gently taking Kai into his arms and holding him protectively against his chest. He utters a small noise of concern when he realizes that Kai is shaking uncontrollably. He seems to be trembling with a sense of fear, his eyes staring at Tyson unblinkingly.

"Miguel?" Kai whispers, blatant relief in his voice as he sinks against him.

"Kai?" Miguel says in concern. He leans back to look at Kai more clearly and gently takes his cheek in his hand. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"He…" Kai stutters, finally tearing his eyes away from Tyson to look into Miguel's eyes. "He did it…"

"What?" Miguel asks, his eyes widening when he realizes Kai is trying to tell him what happened, who his attacker is. He tightens his arms around Kai's fragile frame and holds him closer, knowing all too well that Kai is undoubtedly fearful and confused. "Take your time. Who did this to you?"

"I did," Tyson says, his voice barely above a whisper, his body tensing when he notices the muscles in Miguel's back suddenly stiffen, his body becoming completely still.

"…What?" he asks as he slowly turns around to face him in an most ominous way.

Subconsciously, Tyson takes a step back, not entirely sure what Miguel will do. He once told him that he'd give him a swift kick to the head if he didn't grow up. What will Miguel do now that he knows Tyson was the one who could've easily killed Kai?

Miguel takes one threatening step forward, his usually bright blue eyes are now a very dark blue. Slowly, he lifts up his arm, his hand curling into a tight fist. He seems to hesitate for a moment, but then lunges forward and punches Tyson square on the cheek. A loud crack echoes through the room as Tyson falls back against the wall behind him.

"You stupid, arrogant bastard!"

* * *

Yay! Miguel finally punched him!

Miguel: Yeah, and it only took fourteen goddamn chapters!

…Better late than never?

Please review.


	15. Suffering the Consequences

Reviews: To Anime Girl23, orphen chica, pheonix80, kaitouahiru, G-Wing Gurl, chrono-contract, Blaze Queenie, Thegoldenlock, Dreading, Dranza the Phoenix Goddess, Kaz-za-15, Winter-Rae, Tenshi of Freedom, vlissan, Kayland Elric, Lhune, Miako6, LunaLocket, blitzkrieg demolition girl, Rapunzelle, Qia, Kai's-Suzaku, Abyssinian Rose, or-chan, Tren Rogue, missconfused7, Ma.anda and Spun; thank you so much for reviewing!

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**Chapter 15:**

**Suffering the Consequences**

Wandering through the sparsely populated hallways of the hospital, Claude checks every nook and cranny for his boyfriend, Hiro. Hiro had told him that he was going to go look for his brother, but that was an hour ago. Surely, Tyson wouldn't be that hard to find.

Tyson…Claude doesn't know what to think of him at this point in time. Sure, the blue haired blader has done some stupid things and can be quite self-centered at times, however, he's still Hiro's brother; his boyfriend's little brother. So, in a sense, he's family to him as well.

But Kai is like family to him also. He's there for him whenever he has problems with Hiro and his workaholic ways. He had helped him realize his feelings for the coach, the same way he did for him and Miguel.

A sigh passes Claude lips when he thinks about his best friend. Miguel has been a lot of grief in the past few weeks as well. While Kai suffered physically, Miguel had suffered emotionally and mentally. It's not fair, for either of them.

"I hope things start looking up soon," Claude whispers to himself as he turns yet another corner. "And I hope this grief isn't putting a strain on their relationship."

Claude quickly shakes his head, ridding himself of such thoughts. No, Miguel and Kai are soulmates. They are meant to be together. No, this is only a bump in the road for them. They're relationship will only grow stronger because of this.

Besides, neither male will give up all they have together so easily.

Trudging around yet another corner, Claude debates whether or not he should give up the search and wait for Hiro at his apartment when he hears the sound of deep breathing, like someone is hyperventilating.

Snapping his head up, Claude's eyes immediately widen when he sees the familiar figure of his tall and strong lover, leaning against the wall, one hand griping the hand railing as the other clutches desperately at the material over his heart. His light blue bands covers his eyes as he breathes harshly through his mouth, small beads of sweat slipping down his cheeks and neck.

"Hiro?" Claude finds himself whispering in disbelief, immediate concern growing in his chest. A sense of fear appears as well when Hiro suddenly sinks to the ground, still having difficulty breathing.

"Hiro?!" Claude races to his boyfriend's side, sinking to his knees, his hands gently taking Hiro by the shoulders to get a good look at him. He stares into his eyes and his heart skips a beat. Hiro's gaze looks blank, but his face holds this sense of complete devastation.

"Hiro?" Claude says again, giving his shoulders a little shake. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Tyson…" Hiro manages to wheeze out.

"Take deep breathes," Claude urges, his hands gently massaging Hiro's shoulders. "I'm here. It's going to be ok."

Hiro gives a sudden shake of the head. "How could he?" he whispers before suddenly falling limp against Claude's chest in a dead faint.

"Hiro?!"

--

A sickening crack seems to echo through the tiny room as hard flesh of a fist meets the soft skin of a cheek.

Explosive, white hot pain erupts from Tyson's cheek, and even though he doesn't utter a sound, inwardly he is screaming in agony. He had expected to receive a devastating blow from the usually placid blonde haired Spaniard, but he didn't expect this type of pain. Miguel is seriously pissed off.

As Tyson stumbles back from the force of the punch, Miguel leans forward and grabs Tyson by the collar of his shirt, slamming his back against the wall a foot behind him, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "You selfish, egotistical bastard," he growls with so much venom in his voice, one can almost see the poison dripping off each syllable.

"Miguel!" Kai cries out in alarm, his eyes widening considerably at the obvious hatred radiating from his boyfriend's aura. He has never seen Miguel so mad before. Kai sits in the middle of his bed, unable to move. He so desperately wants to go to his lover's side to calm him down, to reassure him that he's ok, but his body just won't listen.

"Do you have any idea what you could have done?" Miguel growls to the cowering teen before him, his hands curling into tight fists, wrapping around the material of his shirt so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. "You just left him there to die."

"I was scared," Tyson whimpers, squeezing his eyes shut as a small tear leaks out. "I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously," Miguel growls, his once stunning and clear eyes now a hard sheen. "You never think."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Miguel spits, casting aside the apology as if it meant nothing to him. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't beat the shit out of you right here and now?"

Tyson remains silent in his grip, almost appearing defiant, causing Miguel's anger to rise even further. He grits his teeth and slams Tyson's back against the wall again, earning himself a yell of pain.

"You're goddamn lucky you're in a hospital," Miguel snarls dangerously. "Because you're going to need immediate medical attention after I'm through with you."

From his position on the bed, Kai can only watch in silence. Even though his head is still spinning from the concussion and his eyesight is starting to become even more blurry, he watches, desperately wanting to will his body to move.

He just wants this to stop. He wants things to go back the way they were. There's been enough pain and torment already. He doesn't want to see anymore. He doesn't want to see Miguel -his handsome, funny, charming and perfect Miguel- angry or depressed anymore. He wants to see his cheerful and carefree boyfriend again.

"Do you have any idea what it's like?" Miguel asks with a growl in his voice, his hands curling tighter around the collar of Tyson's shirt, pressing his knuckles against his throat. "Watching your soulmate suffer because of some ignorant and egotistical little brat?"

"Miguel…" Kai whispers, his hand moving to clutch at his chest, his heart aching. He could ask Tyson the same question. He isn't angry that Tyson attacked him so much, but he is utterly enraged by the fact that he had to make Miguel go through so much anguish.

And that's unforgivable!

All Tyson can do is close his eyes, swallowing a sob, letting it become stuck in his throat. Those words…they hurt. They hurt like hell. So, this is what Miguel thinks of him, no doubt a mirror image of what Tala and Bryan thinks of him as well. And a prediction of what the rest of his teammates will think if they ever find out what he's done.

…But…it's what he deserves…

"He could have died, Tyson," Miguel says, trying to drive that fact into Tyson's skull. He will get the point across, even if he has to use his fist, Tyson will understand.

"I…I understand that now," Tyson whispers, his throat tightening with pent up emotion.

"Somehow I don't quite believe you," Miguel hisses, his entire body trembling as he tries to suppress his inner rage.

"Miguel, please," Kai whispers from the bed as he reaches a hand out to him. "Don't hurt him anymore. You're better than that."

Those words, they hit home and Miguel abruptly drops Tyson like a tonne of bricks, jumping back with a sense of disgust. His face is still an expression of murderous enrage, but also a sense of guilt and disbelief. Disbelief at how angry he was, how utterly out of control he felt. It's truly frightening.

And guilt that Kai had witness him losing his temper like that.

Tyson sinks to the floor, his hands immediately flying up to clutch his throat, rubbing at the red skin, wincing slightly when he realizes that it's probably going to bruise. His fingers then move towards his cheek, the pain now coming in mind numbing, pulsating throbs.

"I really am sorry," he mutters softly, his hand now gently covering his cheek in an attempt to quell the pain.

"Show me," Miguel says suddenly, his voice tense and heavy with anger, his fisted hands shaking with rage by his sides. "During the charity match I want you to prove to me that you have changed, that you are truly sorry for all the pain and suffering you've put Kai through."

Still clutching his cheek, Tyson stares up at the Spaniard, his face oddly free of emotion. He turns his eyes towards Kai still sitting on the bed, hoping to catch his gaze, instead Kai is staring at Miguel, his ruby red eyes shimmering with a sense of gratitude and with a hint of guilt.

Finally, Kai manages to find the strength to leave his bed. He places his feet on the floor, grabbing onto the bed when he becomes unsteady. He shakes his head to stop the room from tilting and hurries to Miguel's side, taking one of his trembling hands in his, his presence alone calming the Spaniard immediately.

Wasting no time, Miguel immediately pulls Kai into his arms, holding him tenderly against his chest as he rests his chin on top of Kai's head. He draws in a deep breath and releases it slowly, Kai whispering into his chest that he was sorry and that he's going to be ok.

Turning his blue eyes back to the pathetic heap on the ground, Miguel sends him a very hard glare. "If you fail to prove to me, and the others as well, I'm taking Kai back to Spain with me."

Kai leans back and looks up at Miguel in complete surprise. "What?"

Miguel cups the side of Kai's face in his hand and gently kisses his forehead, his arms moving to hold Kai tightly against his chest. "I've come so close to losing you. I don't want us to be separated ever again. I love you too much to let that happen."

Hearing those words, Kai's eyes soften immediately and he falls against Miguel's chest, nuzzling his cheek against the material of his shirt and placing his ear over his heartbeat, letting the rhythm of his beating heart lure him into a state of contentment.

"Everything will be alright," Kai says, his voice barely above a whispers, but seems to radiate around the tiny, silent room. "We'll be ok, the two of us. I just know it."

"Yeah," Miguel breathes, his shoulders slumping a little from exhaustion, and he rest his chin on top of Kai's head. "You're right. As long as we're together, we'll be fine."

From his position on the floor, Tyson silently watches the two, his guilt growing in size, if that is at all possible. He realizes that not only has he caused Kai pain and trouble, but those around him as well. When he lost his temper and launched his blade at Kai, not only was he hurting him, but those who love and adore him.

Miguel, Bryan, Tala, Claude, King, Garland and even Hiro. Of course, the rest of his teammates also suffered because of him.

He truly does realize that now, and he's not going to make the same mistake twice. He has a chance to prove that he's not only capable of understanding and coping with the consequences of his actions, but to prove to everyone that he really does appreciate all the help he gets and the friendship from his fellow bladers.

He has one chance and one chance alone. He better not screw it up.

"I suggest you get out of here before Tala and Bryan arrives," Miguel says suddenly, his voice still heavy with intense anger. "No telling what they'll do."

Tyson blinks for a moment, taking a second to digest these words before scrambling to his feet and skidding out of the room in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Whoo! Another chapter done! Don't worry, Tyson isn't out of the woods yet… _-insert evil laughter here-_

Please review.


	16. Wanting To Be Safe Again

Reviews: I would love to thank; Anime Girl23, pheonix80, blitzkrieg demolition girl, Kai's-Suzaku, G-Wing Gurl, missconfused7, Thegoldenlock, or-chan, Tenshi of Freedom, Winter-Rae, Dranza the Phoenix Goddess, vlissan, american farmer, American Farmer, Painted Ys, chrono-contract, LunaLocket, Kei Luna Shoryu, Nameless Little Girl, kaitouahiru, OnlyNotReally, Ma.anda, MikaMiko and BloodRedViolet for taking the time to review! _-glomps everyone-_

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**Chapter 16:**

**Wanting To Be Safe Again**

Leaning against the passenger side door of his car in the parking lot, Garland lifts up his wrist and glances at his watch. He's been out here for nearly fifteen minutes, waiting for Bryan to re-emerge from the hospital. He went looking for of the Granger brothers, Hiro to tell him that they were heading out to get Kai some essentials he needs for his hospital stay, and Tyson just to check up on him.

Bryan doesn't exactly trust the midnight blue haired blader at the moment. Hell, he doesn't trust a lot of people at the moment, especially learning that the person that put Kai, one of his longest and dearest friends, into the hospital, is still out there somewhere. It's completely understandable that he's so edgy and distrusts everyone.

Bryan has always had a tough time trusting people, it had taken Garland months to work up a friendship with the Russian. Many people think he's wild, unpredictable and dangerous, but once you get to know him, he's loyal, trustworthy and protective. A trait Tala has as well.

And their protectiveness just sky rocketed after the attack on Kai. Tala refuses to let his lover, King, who is fiery, but timid at the same time, out of his sight. And Bryan is no better towards him.

Which is why it's unusual for him to be taking so long in the hospital, hence leaving him out in the open like this. He, along with the others, just wants this whole ordeal to be over with. He wants to feel safe again, he wants things to be back the way they were.

For that to happen, the person responsible has to be found and punished accordingly.

Looking at the intimidating white building, Garland suppresses a shudder. He hates hospitals and does his best to avoid them the best he can. And if Kai wasn't here, he wouldn't be either. There are only a few people he'd go to the hospital for, and Kai is one of them.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Garland emits a weary sigh as his thoughts drift to the young enigma. He still finds it hard to believe that Kai, the powerful and invincible Kai, is in the hospital after being attacked. It's unnerving to Garland, and it proves that anyone, no matter how strong they appear, can have their weak moments. It also proves that no one is really safe.

The irony of this, the person who done this won't be safe either. He'll either have to hand himself in, or pray to the Heaven's above that Bryan and Tala doesn't find him before the police does.

And he will be caught. No two ways about that.

Glancing impatiently at his watch once again, Garland emits another sigh, annoyance creeping in. Bryan should be here by now. Surely, he won't take this long to find Hiro and explain to him what they're planning to do. Maybe he bumped into Tyson and he's giving him lip again?

Wrapping his arms around himself, Garland gazes suspiciously at his surroundings. Ever since the attack he doesn't like to be left alone for too long, even out in public places in broad daylight. He's just as edgy as everyone else.

Turning his gaze back to the hospital public entrance, Garland mentally wills Bryan to hurry up. A moment later, the doors open revealing not Bryan, as Garland had hoped, but a certain world champion.

Raising an eyebrow when he spies a familiar blader, Garland is about to call him over to ask him if he's seen Bryan, but pauses when he sees a look of utter fear on his face, evident even from a distance. It causes Garland to blink silently at him in confusion, the words lost on his lips. He watches silently as the younger Granger brother runs through the hospital car park, easily making his way through the park cars.

"What in the world?" Garland mutters to himself as he watches him disappear amongst the crowded streets. "What's wrong with him?"

He figures, that perhaps he saw Kai in his hospital room, or maybe he had a run in with either Tala or Bryan. There was a sense of fear in his expression, so that has to be it.

Still, Garland can't help but shake off the feeling that there is something else involved with Tyson's fearful state.

"Hey!" A familiar voice pulls Garland out of his thoughts. He turns around and immediately sees his boyfriend's best friend and his slightly younger lover.

"What are you still doing here?" Tala asks as he approaches, discreetly surveying the area for any potential threats. He has an arm around King's waist, holding him securely against his side, an act of protection King is more than happy to receive.

"We thought you and Bryan were going to head over to Kai's apartment and get him some of his belongings," King says with a slight sense of confusion in his voice and eyes.

"We are," Garland replies as he subconsciously tugs at a strand of his silver hair. "It's just that Bryan hasn't emerged from the hospital yet."

Tala immediately snaps his attention to the martial artist, disbelief clearly shinning in his eyes. "Bryan's still inside?" he mutters, knowing all to well that Bryan hates hospitals as much as he and Garland does. Maybe even more so. "That's strange."

Garland nods as he curls the strand of hair he's playing with behind his ear. "He wanted to find Hiro to tell him what we're doing. He mustn't have found him yet."

"Hmmm…" Tala hums quietly to himself in thought, earning himself a look of concern from King.

Garland also has a sense of concern in his expression, not entirely likening the way Tala appears deep in thought. He only thinks this deep when he's scheming something with Bryan, or he has figured out something extremely important. "Anyway, what are you guys going to do?"

"We're taking the others back to the dojo," King explains. "They still need to train for the upcoming match."

"And to get Kai some decent food," Tala adds, pulling himself out of his thoughts, much to his companions' relief. "The food here is shit."

A laugh passes Garland's lips for the first time in what feels like ages. "I hear that!"

--

Holding the still slightly trembling Kai in his arms, Miguel waits until he can no longer hear Tyson's frantic footsteps before tearing his eyes away from the door and glances down at the top of his lover's head. Moving swiftly, Miguel picks Kai up into his arms, cradling him gently against his chest before setting him back down into his bed, continuing to hold him close.

"Are you alright?" he asks, placing a gentle hand on Kai's cheek to tilt his head back ever so slight so he can gaze into his eyes, eyes that are shimmering with a sense of gratitude. "Can you tell me what happened?"

A flicker of confusion appears in Kai's eyes for a moment as he furrows his brow in thought. He sits still for a silent minute, trying his hardest to remember even a piece of how this event came to be.

He can remember the attack, and he, unfortunately, can remember the pain, but why he was in the park, with Tyson at that time of day, is completely unknown to him. Damn concussion. He might never remember…

"I remember being in the park, but I don't remember how I got there, or why I was there, to be truthful," he says with a sigh as he leans his forehead against Miguel's chest, relishing in his comforting aura. "I think I was talking to Tyson about something, but he got really angry. I turned to walk away, but he screamed out my name and launched his blade. I remember turning around just in time to catch a glimpse of his blade, but that's about it." Kai grimaces and touches his forehead, his fingers lightly trailing over the wound. "I do remember feeling a numbing pain in my head, though."

"Take it easy," Miguel whispers to him, rubbing soothing circles on his back with his hands. "Don't stress yourself out too much."

Kai releases another sigh, knowing how angry Miguel is feeling at the moment, but he still tries his best to comfort him and whisper soothing and calming words, despite his inner rage. "I don't remember why I was in the park. Did I walk out on my own?"

"Maybe Tyson beckoned you over?"

Kai presses his lips into a thin line, contemplating this possible scenario. "Maybe…," he mutters before wincing when his head starts to throb once again. "Ah, my head is killing me…"

"Try to get some sleep," Miguel says as he carefully and tenderly lays him down on his bed, pulling the blankets up to his chest. He leans forward and places a feather light kiss to Kai's lips. "You're safe now," he whispers.

Gazing up through his lashes, Kai gives Miguel a warm smile. "I know," he replies before letting his eyelids slip shut and his breath even out.

Miguel sits on the edge of Kai's bed, lovingly running his fingers through Kai's hair, being mindful not to agitate the wound on his temple any more than it already has.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps outside the room causes Miguel to turn his gaze away from his sleeping lover to the door, the sight of a certain silver haired Russian leaning against the frame, his eyebrow twitching dangerously appearing in his vision.

"Where's Tyson?" Bryan asks, his voice holding a mere fraction of the anger he feels inside.

"You just missed him," Miguel mutters, immediately realizing that Bryan must have figured it out on his own. He turns his attention back to Kai and continues to run his fingers through his hair.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Bryan asks as he steps into the room, lowering his voice just a little when he realizes that Kai is asleep. "He was the one who attacked Kai, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he was," Miguel replies, sounding oddly tired and weary. "He admitted it himself."

Bryan's head reels back slightly in surprise, his anger dissipating for a moment. "He admitted it?" he asks, confusion in his eyes before concern takes over and he moves closer to the bed to get a closer look at the fail occupant. "He was here, wasn't he? Did he hurt him?"

"Kai is just exhausted," Miguel tells him quickly. "He'll be fine."

Bryan breathes a small sigh of relief as anger returns to his expression. "Where's he gone?"

Miguel takes a moment to think quietly. "To train, I think."

"To train?" Bryan asks, confusion once again making it's presence known in his voice.

Another sigh passes Miguel's lips as he finally turns his gaze away from studying Kai's face to look at Bryan in the eyes. "He was adamant that he was sorry, so I gave him an ultimatum. He is to prove to me that he truly appreciates Kai at the charity match."

Bryan blinks his emerald eyes slowly. "And if he doesn't?"

"He's all yours."

A look of understanding flitters onto Bryan's face. Miguel, although protective of Kai, still has a gentle heart. He believes everyone deserves a second chance, a belief Kai shares himself. Still, letting the teen get away without knowing the physical pain he put Kai through is simply not on.

"We can't let him get away with this so easily," Bryan snarls under his breath.

"Don't worry," Miguel says with an oddly reassuring tone in his voice. "I punched him."

"You punched him?" Bryan asks, his face blank from surprise. However, a sign of a smirk soon makes it's way to his lips. "…What was it like?"

Miguel gives Bryan a wryly smile. "Oh, I enjoyed it immensely."

The smirk matures on Bryan's lips as the though of the usually timid and friendly Spaniard lashing out at someone. It's a pity he didn't get to see it himself. Although, if he was here at the time, Miguel wouldn't have been able to get a punch him as Bryan knows he would've pounded the little shit into the floor.

Tyson has always had incredible luck. Pity that. Still, he needs someway to get back at the little shit.

"I'm going to go out and tell the others," Bryan says as he turns on his heel and begins to stalk towards the door.

"Wait." Miguel's voice stops him dead in his tracks. Curiously, Bryan glances over his shoulder and raises an eyebrow questioningly at the blonde. "Don't tell his teammates. Kai wouldn't want you too."

Bryan presses his lips together and draws in a sharp breath through his nose. "…Ok," he says reluctantly before adding. "but only because Kai doesn't want me to."

Miguel offers him a small smile as Bryan leaves the room. He turns back to Kai, gently trailing a finger over his cheek, tenderly tracing the outline of one of his tribal like tattoos on his cheeks.

Yet again, the sound of footsteps outside the room forces Miguel to glance at the doorway, a hint of irritation in his expression. How the hell can Kai get any proper rest with all these interruption. However, his irritation soon disappears when he sees his childhood friend standing in the doorway, pale and shaking like a leaf.

"Miguel," Claude says softly as he slowly steps into the room.

Miguel immediately makes his way over to his friend and takes him by the shoulders, concern etching its way into his chest. "Claude, what's wrong?" he asks. "You're shaking."

"It's Hiro," Claude says, his voice on the verge of breaking, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "He collapsed."

"What?"

Claude wraps his arms around himself as he continues to shake, trembling with frail nerves. "He…the doctors say it's from stress. But Hiro had said that he was fine, he looked fine. What happened to him?"

Miguel swallows thickly and he carefully takes Claude by the arm and leads him over to a chair, making him sit down as he kneels in front of him. "I think I know why he fainted. I think he figured out who attacked Kai."

"What?" Claude asks, growing more anxious. "Who?"

"His little brother," Miguel tells him simply.

* * *

X3 They finally know! Will Tyson be able to train properly, or will Tala and Bryan snap and beat the snot out of him? You'll just have to wait and see.

Please review!


	17. The Chance To Change

Reviews: Many wonderful thanks goes out to; Anime Girl23, Winter-Rae, sasukoi, chrono-contract, Dranza the Phoenix Goddess, Kai's-Suzaku, Kaz-za-15, Tenshi of Freedom, Shyki, G-Wing Gurl, LunaLocket, pheonix80, vlissan, kaitouahiru, MikaMiko, Kayland Elric, or-chan, missconfused7, Blaze Queenie, Wah-Keetcha, Painted Ys and evilraven013!

Finally, Chapter 17. Truth be told, I'm not sure how many chapters there will be. Obviously in the 20's. Have to wait and see! Please enjoy.

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**Chapter 17:**

**A Chance To Change **

Harsh breathing racks Tyson's body as he finally stops his frantic pace, running away from the hospital, trying to outrun the truth of what he has done. He collapses to his knees, falling to his hands as his frame trembles severely from fatigue of both physical and mental. His throat hurts, his cheek hurts and his back hurts from being repeatedly slammed against the wall by the usually docile Miguel Lavalier.

The look of utter rage and betrayal on Miguel's face is something Tyson will never forget. He had always overheard the others say that Miguel is protective of Kai, but he didn't realize how much Miguel was willing to do to keep Kai safe from harm.

To keep Kai away from him…

"He gave me a chance," he whispers to himself as he stays completely still in his position, a sense of disbelief in his voice.

Miguel, although utterly infuriated by his mere presence, was still in the right frame of mind not to do anything he might regret or come back to bite him later. He gave him an ultimatum; win the charity match and prove to him that Kai is essential to his life or he will never have anything to do with him again.

He only has one chance to change his way, to prove to the others that he isn't the obnoxious brat they see him as, the brat he has made them believe he was. He had no idea how badly he was acting, no idea how others perceived him to be until those harsh words tumbled from Miguel's mouth with so much bitterness and venom that is physically hurt him.

What do the others think of him? His teammates, do they know what he has done? Ray, Max, Daichi, Kenny and Hilary…what would they say to him? Would they even want anything to do with him after this?

Max…would be gutted if he ever finds out. He sees Kai as an older brother, sometimes even calling him his brother when Kai gets to protective of him. He always said that if he ever had a brother, he would want him to be just like Kai.

What about Hiro, his own brother who has always tried to help become stronger and better, what would he think if he found out what he has done? He'd be disappointed in him, most likely loosing all confidence in him.

Tala and Bryan…

Tyson can't help but shudder at their names. He thanks his lucky stars that they weren't in Kai's room when he was in there. The anger he saw in Miguel will be nothing compared to the absolute murderous rage those two Russians' will no doubt release upon him.

…Ok, coming close to a violent death at the hands of those two protective and deadly Russians' is something he would rather not think about.

Climbing to his feet, Tyson finally takes a moment to glance around at his surroundings, noticing immediately that he is in a fairly secluded part of the park, a place not that far from the dreaded "Gateway to Hell" Bryan and Tala invented just for him.

Pulling out his blade, Tyson clutches it desperately in his hand, tears appearing in his eyes when he stares down at the majestic blue dragon in the bitchip. "Dragoon?" he whispers. "You're still with me, aren't you?"

Staring down at the Beyblade, Tyson feels more tears spill from his eyes, rolling effortlessly down his cheeks when his blade doesn't respond to his question. It's silent and still, not a shimmer of blue radiating from the centre chip like he has seen so many times before.

Is…is Dragoon disappointed in him, too?

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his voice hitching in his throat. "I am so sorry. I don't know what happened. I lost myself to the hype of the media, I guess. It's just, everyone was saying how good I was, how unbeatable, how talented. Everyone was saying it, sounding so nice and friendly."

He collapses to his knees again, falling to the ground in an ungraceful heap. "But then there was Kai. He'd always said that I had talent, but I still had much to learn. I thought he was jealous of me. I thought he was just being a jerk, after all, everyone else was being so positive. I guess he was just trying to keep me grounded, in his blunt and tactless sort of way."

"It worked in a way, I guess," Tyson tilts his head back as he looks up towards the bright blue sky, letting the tears flow freely down his cheeks as he continues to speak so honestly with his bitbeast, his only champion at this dark moment in his life. "Whenever he said something liked that, I would try everything I can to prove him wrong, and when I did, he always had this smug look on his face, a look that said I just fell into one of his traps. And that was really annoying."

A slight pause as Tyson continues to look towards the heaven's above. "Thinking back, that sort of motivation was exactly what I needed. I needed a challenge. He…was kinda like Hiro in his methods, but more or less tactless than Hiro."

As these words fall from Tyson's mouth, his mind is bombarded with images of all the times both Kai and Hiro helped him in some way. Kai's advise during beybattles, Hiro's words of wisdom over the beydish. Encouragement from his teammates and words of reassurances whenever he lost a battle.

Where was the media during those times? Where were the fans? His schoolmates? Where were they then?

They weren't there for him then and they're not here for him now. His friend's, his teammates and his family is what's important, not fame or the thrill of being on TV. Nothing compares to the thrill of engaging in a good beybattle.

Nothing…

"I still need Kai's guidance, along with Hiro's. I still need my friend's support and faith in me, and most importantly, I need you Dragoon," Tyson whispers as he holds his blade tightly in his two hands. "You never left my side, even after I did some rather stupid things. You've helped me to grow and learn. Please Dragoon, I need you…"

Suddenly, a warm pulse radiates from his blade. A look of surprise appears on Tyson's face as he pulls his hands away from his blade, looking directly upon the bitchip, now emitting a soft and warm blue light, reassuring him, comforting him.

With his eyes blurring from the tears, Tyson manages a grateful smile as he holds his blade against his chest. "Thank you, Dragoon…"

Hastily wiping his tears from his cheeks, Tyson draws in a deep breath through his nose, holds it for a moment before releasing it through his mouth. "Ok," he says with determination in his voice. "Lets get started. We've got a lot of work to do before the match tomorrow!"

--

Packing the last of Kai's belongings into an overnight bag, Garland releases a soft sigh to himself. He glances at the clock on the bedside table next to Kai's bed and frowns, concern etching its way into his chest. Bryan still isn't here yet.

Swallowing thickly, Garland tries to quell the panic from growing further. Bryan is a talented and dangerous badass, everyone knows that. Surely, nothing has happened to him?

Still, after everything that has happened, he can't help but imagine the worst case scenario.

Tala and King should be back soon as well. They've gone to get Kai some real food, food they are sure he's going to eat. Miguel has asked them to get Kai his favorite food and to sneak it in when the nurses aren't look. Kai hates hospitals, but he has hospital food even more.

The sound of the front door opening quite harshly almost makes Garland jump out of his skin. He carefully makes his way into the hallway, wondering who it can possibly be, a scowl on his lips, ready to verbally lash the poor fool who entered Kai's personal place without being invited.

However, those words disappear the moment a familiar platinum grabs him by the shoulders, pulls him abruptly against his chest and kisses him hard on the lips. Immediately, Garland's knees go weak and he falls against Bryan's chest, letting him kiss him soundly, a sense of possessiveness in his caress. Although the kiss is passionate, its also sudden and seems to hold a sense of desperation in it.

Did something happen while Bryan was away?

"Bryan!" Garland says as he has to forcibly break the kiss, breathing harshly as he stares into Bryan's eyes, his own blue eyes filling with intense concern. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"If he did that to you, I wouldn't be so forgiving," Bryan mutters under his breath as he pulls Garland tighter against his body, holding him protectively in his arms.

That same sense of panic Garland felt earlier returns at Bryan's strange behavior. "What are you talking about?"

"I'd kill him," Bryan continues to mumble as he suddenly pulls back and runs a hand down the side of Garland's face. "I'm sure I would."

"Bryan?" Garland blinks in confusion. He grabs one of Bryan's hands, his eyes widening considerably when he sees that the skin over his knuckles have been tore away, dry cakes of blood clinging painfully against the open wounds.

"Oh my God, what happened? What did you do?" he asks as he grabs his other hand to have a look. He then pushes away from Bryan to head into the bathroom, knowing that's where Kai always keeps the first aid kit. He returns not a moment later to find Bryan now sitting on the couch in the lounge room, holding his head in his two injured hands.

Garland takes a seat next to him and sets about cleaning his injuries, a thousand and one different questions floating through his mind. But just as he is about to ask those questions, the front door opens again and the sound of two familiar voices drift in immediately.

"We're back," Tala announces as he appears in the room, King just behind him. They both stop dead in their tracks when they spy Bryan on the couch, dry blood stains on his hands.

"Bryan?" Tala says as he raises an eyebrow in confusion, tinged with a sense of irritation. "What's going on? Where the hell have you been? I just got a call from the hospital. Apparently Hiro was emitted not too long ago."

Bryan immediately snaps his head up, a sense of perplexity on his face. His frown deepens when he hears a gasp of concern from his boyfriend next to him. "What?"

Running a hand through his hair, Tala nods and places a plastic bag on the table next to the couch Bryan is sitting on. "Claude is in hysterics and Miguel is in no mind to comfort him with Kai to look after. We better hurry up and get our asses back to the hospital."

"What happened to him?" Garland asks as he finishes wrapping the bandage around Bryan's hand, swallowing thickly at the news that Hiro is now in hospital as well. How much more bad luck are they going to experience in such a short time?

Sensing that his boyfriend is starting to become stress by noticing the way his hands are desperately grasping into his arm, Bryan draws in a deep breath and moves to pull Garland against his side, supporting him for the devastating news he's about the deliver. "I think I know what."

"You already know, Bryan?" King speaks up, his voice trembling a little as well, no doubt also shock by all the bad luck and devastation going round at the moment.

"Hiro fainted, didn't he?" Bryan asks.

Tala furrows his brow as he narrows his eyes at Bryan's strange behavior. Never being the one to beat around the bush like this, Tala is finding Bryan a little unnerving at the moment. "Yeah, how did you-"

"I know why he fainted," Bryan cuts him off, a hiss in his voice as his eyes narrow dangerously. "He worked out who attacked Kai and the shock of the realization must have been too much for him. Dammit, I should have seen this coming, but was too pissed off to care."

Garland suddenly moves forward and frame Bryan's face in his hands, forcing him to look at him, giving him a lot that is nothing but blatant concern. "Bryan, you're not making any sense. You haven't made an ounce of sense since coming in here. What's going on?"

"It's Tyson," Bryan says as he returns to his tactless self abruptly, getting over his shock of the situation, instead turning to rage. "He's the one who attacked Kai."

The temperature in the room seems to drop a few degrees as silence becomes deafening. However, that silence is soon broken as a cry of murderous disbelief echoes through the room.

"What?!" Tala practically howls.

With a weary sigh, Bryan than proceeds to tell everyone within Kai's apartment what had transpired that afternoon while he was away. He told of the moment Hiro realized his brother was the attacker to the confrontation in the hospital room to Miguel punching Tyson and then asking Bryan not to tell Tyson's teammates as a favor to Kai.

He also mentions the fact that Miguel has given Tyson an ultimatum. One, if he should fail, his life is in their hands.

As he finishes his explanations of what he knows, he looks around the small group and immediately notices the look of utter disbelief and shock on the two younger light haired teens to the dark shadows covering Tala's eyes, his body trembling as he tries to suppress the murderous rage building within his body.

"That…that little bastard," he hisses dangerously. "I don't fucking believe it! I'll rip his goddamn head off and spit down his throat! He simply can't get away with this!"

"Tala," King whispers, immediately moving to press himself against his chest, seeking his comfort while calming him down at the same time. "Don't do anything harsh, please."

But Tala continues to look murderous and turns those deadly eyes in Bryan's direction, disbelief mingling with the anger. "Why aren't you pissed off?" he hisses at him.

"I am," Bryan replies just as sharply, his own eyes narrowing in a fearsome manner. "But what can I do? I don't know where the little shit is and Miguel has given him a second chance to prove to him that he has change. Going out and beating the shit out of him now will only make all our efforts to reform him a complete and utter waste."

Tala continues to glare at him before abruptly looking away, using one hand to wrap around King's shoulders to pull him against his chest as he runs a shaky hand though his hair with the other. "Fuck, I'm so pissed," he curses loudly. "I need to punch something."

"I know how you feel," Bryan mutters as he holds up one of his bandaged hands. "I punched a wall repeatedly. It didn't help."

Wrapping his arms around Bryan's neck, Garland buries his face in his shoulder, clearly in a state of shock. The anger, the disbelief, and helplessness in doing anything about it. It's too much. This whole ordeal is just too much.

"What should we do?" Garland asks, allowing Bryan to wrap his arms tighter around him and pull him into his lap, using his presence to calm his inner feelings of violent retribution.

"What we came down here to do," Tala says suddenly with a calm voice, a look of determination on his face. "We're going to train Tyson our way."

A smirk slowly appears on Bryan's face when he catches the hidden meaning to those words. "Blitzkrieg style."

* * *

Told ya Tyson isn't out of the woods yet. Next chapter should have Tala and Bryan confronting Tyson. Should be fun X3

Please review.


	18. Suddenly Everything Has Changed

Reviews: Much appreciation to; Shyki, Anime Girl23, Winter-Rae, Lirin Sama, Blaze Queenie, Dranza the Phoenix Goddess, chrono-contract, glitteredvixen06, Painted Ys, Thegoldenlock, missconfused7, dragonfire7654321, Tenshi of Freedom, vlissan, Kayland Elric, the Light Shadow, Wah-Keetcha, LunaLocket, XxSweet MitsukaixX, pheonix80, kaitouahiru, ElleChan, or-chan and Kai's-Suzaku! Thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews and undying support X3

Warnings: A bit of swearing, but with Tala and Bryan involved, you expect nothing less X3 I hope you enjoy either way.

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**Chapter 18:**

**Suddenly Everything Has Changed**

Tyson did it…

Claude can hardly believe it. Tyson, his lover's little brother was the one who attacked Kai? It's…too mind boggling to understand. It's surreal. With everything that's been happening, life feels like one of those silly and dramatic day time soap operas the girls love to watch so much.

Frantic flight across the globe to got to one's lover. Dramatic hospital visits. Violent attacks in fits of anger. Shocking confessions and devastating reactions. Unbelievable second chances…

All they need now is for someone to come back from the dead or a long lost identical twin.

Sighing from his position on a very uncomfortable hospital chair, Claude glances up, his tired and weary eyes gazing at the young man lying still on the hospital bed before him.

"Poor Hiro," Claude whispers as he reaches forward and takes Hiro's much larger hand in his, giving it a light squeeze as he runs his thumb over the back of his hand. The last few weeks have been tough for him as well. Disappointment towards his young charges a main factor in all of his stress.

The sound of rustling bed sheets pull Claude from his thoughts and a dry voice drifts to his ears. "Claude?"

Claude immediately stands up from his chair and moves to lean over the bed, a look of relief on his face as a small smile graces his lips. "Hiro!" he says happily, soft tears pooling ever so in the corners of his eyes. "You're awake. I was so worried."

Slowly, Hiro opens his eyes, blinking multiple times to get use to the blinding light. Claude waits patiently for his lover to gather his bearings and he sits on the edge of the bed, still holding Hiro's hand.

"You're in the hospital, Hiro," Claude tells him softly when he realizes that Hiro has a look of confusion in his eyes. "You fainted from shock and-"

"You know, don't you?" Hiro says, cutting him off, a pained look of betrayal in his eyes. "About Tyson?"

"…Yeah," Claude whispers softly, as he sadly looks off to the side. "Miguel told me."

Hiro draws in a deep breath and then releases it with a shaky sigh. "It's my fault, isn't it?"

Claude immediately snaps his attention back to Hiro, disbelief in his voice and eyes. "Pardon?"

Lifting up his other hand, Hiro runs it through his hair, trembling ever so slightly from the weakness he is experiencing from the shock. "I wanted Tyson to become a better blader, so that's why I set him up against the strongest bladers. But I didn't think…"

"Stop that!" Claude orders, his profile becoming tense, the usually docile Spaniard shaking with anger and fatigue. "This isn't your fault. You didn't know, and you have no control over your brother's life or personality. Please, don't blame yourself."

"Claude?" Hiro whispers, a sense of guilt settling in his chest when he realizes that Claude is suffering too. He releases another sigh as he summons the strength to push himself into a sitting position. "I'm sorry," he whispers as he pulls his slender lover into his arms and rests his chin on top of his sleek silver hair.

"There's been enough finger pointing already," Claude continues, tears of frustration slipping from his eyes. "Tyson needs to take responsibility for his own actions, just like we do."

"How could he do something like this?" Hiro murmurs as he holds Claude closer, not only giving him comfort, but seeking it as well. "To actually attack someone…?"

Sinking deeper into Hiro's arms, Claude shakes his head and gives a weary sigh. "Fame can make people do stupid things, I guess," he murmurs against Hiro's chest. "Especially someone so young, they lose themselves to the hype of it all. It makes them feel that they can't go wrong."

"You're right," Hiro mutters, exhaustion heavy in his voice. "But there has to be a way to reverse all of that."

Claude nods slowly, snuggling deeper into Hiro's warm embrace as the older of the two lies back down, forcing Claude to climb onto the bed with him, his head resting on his chest.

Unbeknownst to the two, a familiar dual hair enigma lingers in the doorway, his hands grasping at the door frame as his heart goes out to the two. So many people are suffering. It isn't fair.

Pushing silently away from the door and with his hand on the wall for support, Kai slowly treks his way back to his own room, his heart heavy with a sense of sadness and disappointment.

He had overheard Miguel and Claude talking while they were in his room about Hiro and his new condition. They thought he was asleep, but he was jarred awake when he felt the very familiar presence of a certain silver haired Russian. He only heard bits and pieces of Bryan's conversation with Miguel as he was still swimming through a sea of consciousness. But he did manage to catch Miguel asking Bryan not to hurt Tyson.

The sound of approaching footsteps pull Kai from his thoughts and he quickly finds himself in the warm embrace of his lover's arms. He immediately sinks into the comforting gesture, his hands grasping at the back of Miguel's shirt in an effort to pull himself closer.

"There you are," Miguel says as he breathes a sigh of relief before pulling back to give Kai a look of concern. "You should be resting."

Kai sighs and shakes his head, leaning forward to press himself against Miguel's chest, nuzzling his head under his chin. "I can't help but feel responsible for this somehow."

"What are you talking about?" Miguel asks, his brow knotting in confusion.

"Maybe there was something I could have done, something more to keep Tyson grounded."

"Kai, stop that," Miguel orders as he takes Kai by the shoulders and pushes him back just enough so he can look him in the eyes, a firm yet loving gaze. "We've been through this already. You're the last person to blame."

"I feel sorry for Hiro," Kai mutters as he shakes his head again. "It must be hard for him to take. Realizing his brother…"

"I know," Miguel whispers, pulling Kai back into his arms again.

"But you gave him a chance," Kai says with a sense of pride in his voice as he nuzzles his cheek against his shoulder. "Thank you."

"It…wasn't easy," Miguel murmurs as he runs his fingers through Kai's hair. "I'm sorry you saw me so angry."

"You weren't angry, you were protective," Kai is quick to correct. "We do crazy things for the people we love, don't we?"

Miguel gives a light chuckle. "Yes, we do."

Kai stays still in Miguel's arms for a moment, simply relishing in his loving warmth, but a minute later he pulls back and gazes straight into Miguel's stunning blue eyes. "Miguel?"

"Hmm?"

Kai leans up on his toes and gives him a soft peck on the lips. "Help me bust out of here."

Miguel's eyes widen for a moment and he gives Kai a look of disbelief. "What?"

"I can't stand to stay in this hospital a moment longer," Kai says as he pouts cutely. "I need to get out."

"But you're still recovering…" Miguel tries to reason, but knows that there is very little he can do to stop Kai. As if he could say no to that adorable pout of his.

"I'll sleep better at home," Kai replies, his ruby red eyes shimmering softly. "You will to."

"…Alright," Miguel murmurs in defeat, smiling softly when Kai's expression brightens. "Lets get out of here. But you're not climbing out the window."

Kai chuckles and hugs Miguel again. "Spoil sport."

--

Leaning heavily against his knees, Tyson breaths harshly through his mouth, panting desperately to get air back into his lungs, large beads of sweat are dripping down his face and neck. Whooo, he hasn't trained this hard for, well, ever!

Ever since he stumbled unceremoniously into this clearing, his been training as hard as he can. It's the first time he's trained by himself and he feels a little out of his league. He has always had someone with him, telling him what to do and what he needs to focus on.

Tyson had to literally rack his brain to remember past lessons both Kai and Hiro taught him, and thinking back, they were all very important and valid.

Which only makes his guilt at his behavior grow more severe. Gwad, he has been a brat, hasn't he? How did everyone put up with this for so long?

"Here Piggy, piggy, piggy."

A voice mocking calls through the silence of the park, startling Tyson considerably. A fraction of a moment later, the sound of two blades leaving their launchers in an almost violent way reaches Tyson's ear. The next thing Tyson knows is that two blades, almost identical in speed and power, are heading towards him. He feels them whiz past, missing him by the skin of his teeth.

"What the-?" Tyson exclaims in surprise, abruptly spinning around to the direction where the blades came.

His eyes widen when he sees a dark figure walking towards him through the shadows of the trees and step into the sun light. Bright red hair that fans out to the sides and a profile as tense as steel greets him.

"Tala?" Tyson mutters in surprise, reeling back slightly in fright when Tala merely glares at him in such a way Tyson has never seen before. It could nearly put Kai's death glare to shame!

Tyson opens his mouth again to nervously question the Russian why he's here when he hears the sound of a few twigs breaking and rustling leaves. He looks up just in time to see a blade whiz past his eyes and rest at the base of a tree. Suddenly, a figure appears on a low brand, crouching on the limb almost like a ninja ready to pounce.

But the figure was no ninja. No, he's far more terrifying. It's Bryan, the second Russian and he looks just as fearsome as he redheaded captain.

"What are you trying to do? Kill me?" Tyson quickly snaps his mouth shut when he realizes his choice of words aren't exactly appropriate at this point in time. Especially with two very murderous looking Russians' glaring at him with their blades spinning rapidly and dangerously by their feet.

"Now, that's a thought that has crossed my mind repeatedly since I found out what you done, you egotistical little bastard," Bryan snarls in an almost beastly sort of way as he effortlessly jumps from the branch and lands on the ground with a small puff of air, landing just behind Tala who doesn't even blink.

Tyson freezes to the spot, a look of absolute fear appearing on his face, paling considerably. Oh God, no…

"You know…?" he whispers timidly.

"Of course we know, asshole," Tala spits at him, his normally icy blue eyes turn colder still. His face is dark with anger and his hands are by his sides, trembling with inner rage. "Did you really think you could get away with what you've done?"

"I didn't…" Tyson swallows thickly, subconsciously taking several stumbling steps backwards.

"What?" Bryan hisses as he takes a threatening step forward, his tall profile growing increasingly intimidating. "You didn't what? Expect him to live?"

"No!" Tyson shouts his protest, shaking his head frantically in the negative. "I didn't mean to hurt- "

"But you did," Tala cuts him off, his voice as cold as his eyes. "You attacked him and then left him for dead. How do you explain that?"

"I…" Tyson begins to shake visibly.

"You're jealous of him," Tala states as he moves to circle the world champion, Bryan following his actions, but taking the opposite direction, making sure Tyson won't be able to flee from them. "He's everything you're not. He has everything you don't."

"That's why you attacked him, isn't it?" Bryan growls, stating it in such a way that it doesn't really sound like a question, but more of a statement.

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Tyson stutters, is circling captors making him extremely nervous. "I was angry and-"

"You took it out on him, like you always do," Tala interrupts him with a sneer. "A personal punching bag. That's all he is to you."

Tyson rapidly shakes his head. "No…"

"But you went to far this time, brat," Bryan snarls venomously. "There is no way he'll be able to be near you again without suffering from panic attacks. And when the others find out-"

"Shut up!" Tyson suddenly screams at them, his chin dropping to his chest as he curls his fists by his sides. "I know what I've done can't be excused and I know it will take me forever to get Kai to trust me again, I don't need you to tell me that!"

The outburst startles Bryan and Tala a little, but neither teens shows is outwardly. They share a quick look, their eyes having a silent conversation before turning their attention back to Tyson.

"If you know all that," Tala says slowly, anger still lingering in his voice. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I want you to train me," Tyson tells them, finally lifting his head to look at the two with a sense of determination in his eyes. "I don't care what you do, how you do it, or how much it will hurt. I need to do this. I need to win the charity match tomorrow. I have to…for Kai."

Once again Tala and Bryan share a look, their expression unreadable.

"Fine," Tala suddenly replies as his blade moves out to spin in front of him, Bryan's mimicking the motion.

"Let's get started then," Bryan murmurs before both Russians' lunge forward, ready for their blades to battle.

* * *

Nyah, little Tyson is starting to grow up. Who hates Tyson now? I don't hate Tyson exactly, I just like picking on him as I've said before X3 Hey, if I truly hated him, don't you think I would have killed him by now, hmm?

Please review.


	19. Escape Plan In Motion

Reviews: My sincerest thanks to; Lirin Sama, Anime Girl23, Kai's-Suzaku, XxSweet MitsukaixX, Painted Ys, Rapunzelle, Wah-Keetcha, or-chan, vlissan, kaitouahiru, pheonix80, RoxasIsReal13, chrono-contract, Taijiya Mizu, LunaLocket, Tenshi of Freedom, ElleChan, Miako6, Blaze Queenie, Kayland Elric and the Light Shadow! _-glomps-_

Some of you still hate Tyson…? Oh well, I won't do anything to change your mind X3 Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 19**

**Escape Plan In Motion**

Clutching Kai's overnight bag in his arms, Garland draws in a deep breath as he steps over the hospital door threshold and inside the sterile and ghastly plain building. He exchanges no words with the shorter youth next to him, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Both lost in a surreal world.

They give the nurse at the front desk a polite smile and a small wave as she waves them through. She knows where they're going so there's no point in delaying them from their destination. The nurse is an elderly woman, about mid fifties and has years of experience that can be clearly seen by the lines on her face. She's one of the best nurses in the hospital, very vigilant. She's been watching Kai like a hawk the moment he was brought into the hospital as he has a bit of a reputation of being an escape artist. Last time he was here was when he battled Brooklyn the last time. He was under her care and he escaped not a few hours later.

And now she's adamant that he doesn't do it again.

The two white-haired youths turn a corner to head to Kai's room and spy Miguel standing just outside the door, leaning against the wall in deep thought. He is pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and finger, muttering softly under his breath.

"Hey Miguel," Garland greets softly as he and King walk over to him.

Miguel lifts his head up and pushes away from the wall. "Hey."

King fidgets in his spot for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip as he isn't sure what to say next. "We heard about Tyson," he says softly, almost ashamed to say his name.

Next to him, Garland tenses for a moment, his eyes narrowing with a sense of anger. "Can't believe he would do something like that," he mutters harshly under his breath.

"Neither can I…" Miguel practically growls out.

"Tala and Bryan are training him as we speak," King informs him, hoping that the knowledge that Tyson is preoccupied will assure Miguel that he's not a threat anymore.

"Training?"

Garland nods his head, the corners of his lips twitching into an almost sadistic smile. "Yeah, they're doing it Blitzkrieg style."

Miguel gives him a half smirk. "Are you sure they're not going to kill him and hide the body?"

"No loss if they did…" Garland mutters under his breath and looks to the side, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Miguel gives a short laugh, a hint of amusement in his blue eyes. "You're starting to sound like Bryan," he teases.

Garland straightens his posture and blushes a light pink. He flails for a denial to throw at him, but instead opts to simply change the subject, and he does so rather quickly. He has always pride himself at being more collected and calm than his boyfriend, but Bryan's wild and unpredictable side was gradually getting to him.

"Anyway, how's Kai doing?" he asks. "We heard that he had an encounter with Tyson."

Miguel immediately sobers up and this time he casts a glance to the side, his eyes narrowing at the thought of his lover and his attacker being in the same room while he was out. "Yeah, he did. He's fine."

An uncomfortable silence falls over the small group and Miguel turns his attention back to room that he's lover is occupying, resting quietly to gain some strength for what he's about to do.

A thought suddenly strikes Miguel and he turns to his fellow bladers. "Guys? I need your help with something."

The request for help startles both Garland and King, and they share a look of confusion. "What is it?" King asks.

"Help me bust Kai out of here," Miguel tells them bluntly.

Garland reels his head back in surprise. "What?"

King slowly shakes his head in disbelief, his snow white hair dancing about before his eyes and face. "But I thought you were adamant that he'd stay until he's fully healed this time."

The corners of Miguel's lips twitch into a half smile, knowing that King is referring to Kai's battle with Brooklyn. He went to visit Kai just before Tyson's own battle against Brooklyn and overheard the nurses talking about how Kai was gone. One of them claimed adamantly that she saw him jump out of the window, on the fifth floor!

"I know," he says. "But Kai is adamant that he escapes and if I don't help, he'll just do it by himself and I don't want him to get hurt."

"Okay," Garland says, getting over his shock. "What do you want us to do?"

Miguel pauses in silence for a moment, tapping his chin in thought. "Did the nurse at the front desk see you two?" he asks,

Garland nods his head sharply. "Yeah, she always waves us on."

"Did you bring him a change of clothes?" Miguel next asks, eyeing off the bag in Garland's hands.

This time King nods, his visible eyebrow arching towards his hairline, revealing a small hint of confusion. "Yeah."

"Good," Miguel says with satisfaction as he turns towards Kai's room once again, staring at the closed door. "I'll need your help getting him past the front counter. There is no way I'm letting him climb out through the window. The nurse, she has eyes like a hawk, we can't just walk him out and expect to get very far," he mutters and then turns to King, looking at his choice of clothing. "First, King I'd like you to give Kai your hooded jumper."

King finds himself falling deeper into his cloud of confusion. "My jumper? Why?"

"So Kai can wear it and put the hood up and then pretend to be you," Miguel explains with a smile on his lips. "This way, Kai will take me by the arm and pretend that he's you and you're forcing me to go home for a moment."

"Oh, I see," Garland says with a smile of his own, catching onto Miguel's plan of escape for Kai. "But what about us?"

"You two can reappear later," Miguel tells him as he takes Kai's bag from his hands. "Kai's already out the doors, there's nothing that they can do about it when they see the two of you, is there?"

Garland laughs softly, the first time in ages and nods his head, a sense of approval in his own blue eyes. "That's pretty sneaky. Did you think of it yourself?"

Miguel shrugs, bashfully. "What can I say, living with Kai has kept me on my toes," he receives another round of laughter and sounds of agreement from the two before him and he smiles again. "Now, let's go. I don't think Kai could stand another moment staying in bed."

The three bladers then head into Kai's room, waking him up from his slumber, they tell him their plan, going step by step. Of course, Kai agrees readily, willing to do anything to get out of this Godforsaken Hellhole as he so lovingly calls it. Slipping on a set of clothing similar to King's, Kai leans against Miguel as he slips his hooded jumper over his head and hiding his telltale and distinct hair from prying eyes. Miguel spins Kai around in his arms to take in his form for a moment and lifts his hand to lovingly push aside any loose strands of hair from his eyes.

"Ready to get out of here?" Miguel asks, chuckling softly when Kai nods his head.

"Absolutely," he replies as Miguel wraps an arm around his waist and leads him out of the room.

Miguel supports Kai's weak form against him until they approach the front entrance before they swap positions where Kai is supporting Miguel, making it appear as if he's trying to pull a reluctant blonde outside. Taking a deep breath, the two move quickly, but cautiously out into the front sitting room, a mere few steps away from freedom.

"Where are you two going?" the nurse suddenly asks, and the two tenses.

Miguel glances over his shoulder and gives her a weak smile, appearing stressed and tired. "King's is forcing me to head home for a while," he tells her, discreetly shying Kai away from her ever watchful eyes.

The nurse stares at him for a moment, her eyes narrow and searching. After what feels like an eternity, she nods her head in approval. "Good," she says. "Get some food into you. You need the energy."

Miguel gives her a grateful smile before he and Kai hurry out of sight, and out into the fresh air. They did it!

Once out of sight, Kai moves to wrap his arms around Miguel's neck and kisses him on the lips. "Thank you," he whispers as he sinks against him, happy to feel the sun's warm rays on his skin.

"I'm just glad you didn't jump out the window this time," Miguel chuckles as he lifts Kai into his arms and carries him over to the car that Garland and King used to get here. First, he'll drop Kai off at home and then return to pick up his two accomplices.

--

Garland and King share a short laugh, grinning in triumph as Miguel and Kai manage to get past the 'hawk' and out to freedom. While waiting for Miguel to pick them up, they decided to drop by yet another patient in the hospital.

Entering the hospital room of one Hiro Granger is a sober experience. The tension in the room is so thick one could cut it with a knife. Hiro and Claude are talking quietly to each other, Claude sitting on the edge of the bed while holding Hiro's hand in his. Knocking softly, Garland manages a small smile as he and King quietly enters the room.

"Hey," Hiro greets them softly, a small smile of embarrassment on his lips. "What are you two up to?"

Despite the obvious depression in the room, Garland can't stop a smile from appearing on his lips. "We just helped Kai escape."

Hiro stares at Garland for a moment, disbelief on his face. "Does Miguel know?" he asks after a moment of silence.

"Know?" King chuckles. "He was the one who thought of the plan!"

Claude's eyes widen in surprise and gives the two a look of utter perplexity. "Really, but he said-"

"It was either help him escape, or watch him escape when he's back was turned," Garland interrupts, still smiling softly as he recalls all the stories he's heard about Kai's great escapes. "There was no other way around it."

After a moment of stun silence, Claude finally nods his head, he too recalling all the stories. "I see," he says, his expression becoming soft.

For the longest while, Hiro remains silent as the other three occupants in the room talk amongst themselves. Getting out of this hospital wouldn't be such a bad idea. The memories of why Kai and ultimately Hiro himself were in the hospital in the first place come rushing back and Hiro harden his resolve. He'll get out of this hospital and find his little brother. It's time for them to have a little heart to heart…

"Do you two think you can help me?" Hiro suddenly asks.

Garland blinks a few times before giving Hiro his full attention. "You want to escape as well?"

Hiro presses his lips into a thin line before inhaling deeply. "Yeah…I need to speak with a certain sibling of mine."

"Oh…"

Giving Claude's hand one last squeeze, Hiro struggles into a sitting position on the bed, his face hard with determination. "Distract the nurse," he says as he swings his legs over the side. "I'll find my own way out."

Claude immediately wraps his arms around Hiro's neck, burying his face into his shoulder. "Hiro…" he whispers, not wanting his lover to go. He wants him to stay put; to recover just a little bit more before confronting his brother.

However, he doesn't voice his thoughts. He knows Hiro better than anyone, and he knows when Hiro makes his mind up about something, there is very little he can do to change it.

"I need to do this," Hiro whispers into his ear as he wraps his arms around him. "Please, I'll be fine."

Claude continues to cling to Hiro for a few more minutes before reluctantly pulling away, refusing to meet Hiro's eyes. "…Ok," he sighs, gazing at the floor before slowly lifting his eyes to look into Hiro's face, unable to hide his concern. "Just be careful, alright?"

Hiro cups Claude's cheek in his hand and kisses him softly on the lips. "Alright."

--

"Ah!"

Tyson screams out in pain as he drops to his knees and clutches his arm. He grits his teeth together as white hot streaks of pain shoot up his arm and through the rest of his body. Small rivers of blood trickle through his fingers, a small wound of punishment of not being quick enough to physically dodge an attack.

So, this what it's like to train Blitzkrieg style. Ruthless attacks, constant battering, mental exhaustion, physical bodily harm. Talk about putting it all out on the line.

Watching the pathetic mess on the ground, Tala turns to give Bryan an accusing glare. "I thought we agreed not to physically hurt him," he says with a low hiss.

Bryan gives Tala a very pleading look. "It was just one small little attack, that's all."

Tala rolls his eyes. "Fine," he mutters, turning back to Tyson. "Don't draw any blood next time. He still has to blade tomorrow, remember?"

"I know," Bryan says as he also turns to his unfortunate victim.

Breathing heavily, Tyson could feel every single one of his muscles groan and twitch in pain. Large droplets of sweat drip down his face as he struggles to control his breathing. He's on the brink of passing out from sheer exhaustion, but Tala and Bryan won't allow him such a luxury.

"Get up, worm," Bryan commands with a hiss, not showing a hint of being tired or weary from the seemingly endless training session. "You can't expect to win with the shape you're in."

"Kai isn't here to help you through this battle, Tyson," Tala says as he and Bryan move to stand in front of him. "Unless you get your head out of your ass and shape up, he'll never help you through another battle again."

Half expecting the world champion to protest and demand a rest, the two Russians can't hide their surprise when Tyson struggles to his feet and gives them a look of sheer determination. "I'm…fine…nothing wrong with me…heh…" he manages to say between his hard and deep gasps for air.

Tala stares at Tyson with a sense of disbelief in his eyes for a moment, before a smirk twitches onto his lips. Ah, now he's learning. "Good, because we're done playing around."

Bryan matches Tala's smirk with one of his own. "It's time to show you what a real beybattle is. Ready?"

"Ready," Tala sniggers as he moves himself and his blade into an attack ready position. However, the sound of another blade cutting through the air like a knife interrupts the two Russians and they move to avoid the blade as it cuts between them, forcing them to abandon their attacks and watch as the Beyblade circles around Tyson's feet.

Tyson stares at the blade for a moment before he's eyes widen in alarm. "That's…" he whispers, seemingly oblivious to the increasing wind around him.

A split second later, in a swirl of green leaves, the figure of a certain tall and older blue-haired male appears standing on a tree branch, his arms over his chest in a very stern and serious manner.

"Hiro?"

* * *

Yay, Hiro has decided to join the party. And Kai's out of the hospital, without using a window X3

Please review.


	20. Just Have To Wait And See

Reviews: My sincerest thanks to; glitteredvixen06, Lirin Sama, Dranza, the Light Shadow, Painted Ys, dragonfire7654321, Tenshi of Freedom, vlissan, Rapunzelle, Anime Girl23, XxSweet MitsukaixX, or-chan, chrono-contract, Destiny Kitty, kaitouahiru, pheonix80 and Blaze Queenie for taking the time to review! Loves you all very much X3

X3 Just reached Twenty chapters and now have over four hundred reviews! I am a very happy girl, as you can imagine! -_glomps every single one of my reviewers-_

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Just Have To Wait And See**

Walking through the hospital corridors, flanked by two light-haired teens on either side of him, Garland silently muses over the recent chain of events that brought him to this point in time.

So much has happened and Garland is still having minor difficulties taking it all in. It seems like when he gets used to one mishap, another more devastating one appears to take its placing, throwing his entire world out of whack again.

He thought he would be used to living day by day, not knowing what to expect from the future. Heck, he's dating Bryan, the most unpredictable of a notorious unpredictable team known to man. He's grown used to living on the fly.

Still, nothing could quite prepare him for this chain of events. Grev outgrowing their egos and dismissing all forms of training and battles. Kai telling his teammates off in an uncharacteristic display of impatience. Kai collapsing suddenly after said outburst. Doctor arriving at the house to check on said captain and diagnosing him with exhaustion. Miguel's cross the globe dash to get to his soulmate's side. His own boyfriend, Bryan, and fellow Russian Tala making an equally frantic dash. Bryan and Tala announcing themselves as Grev new coaches while Kai and Hiro take some much needed time off. Grev discovering that the Blitzkrieg boys style training isn't their cup of tea.

As dramatic as those events were, Garland could handle it, knowing that Grev were finally getting the training they needed. He also got to see his boyfriend again and Kai was finally on the road to recovery. But then…

Kai was attacked and left for dead in the middle of the park, bleeding profusely from an open wound on his forehead. Even with his wound, Kai managed to get one call out to Miguel on his mobile before he fainted. Hiro and Claude were the first to find him, followed a close second by Miguel. Another frantic dash ensued, but this time to the hospital. Thankfully, Kai awoke hours later, but with a concussion and mild amnesia, not remembering the face of his attacker. He did later, though, when his attacker came to the hospital. And his attacker was none other than Tyson himself! He confessed to the deed, which caused Miguel to threaten him and then giving him an ultimatum. Win the charity match tomorrow and prove to him that he has changed or he'll never see Kai again.

So now, Tala and Bryan are training him and Hiro is about to join them after helping him escape just a few minutes after helping Kai to flee the hospital. What a day!

Yep, that pretty much just sums up the last few weeks of his life, doesn't it?

When will the drama end?

"Garland?" a voice beside him breaks him out of his inner musings. "Are you alright?"

Turning his bright blue eyes to the slender youth next to him, Garland offers him a reassuring grin that holds an edge of concern to it. "I should be asking you that, Claude."

Claude turns his eyes away to stare at the ground as their small group heads the welcoming warmth of the outside world. "I…just don't know what to think of this situation anymore."

"About Kai and Tyson?" Garland asks gently.

"Yeah…" Claude says with a sigh. "I mean, I hate what Tyson has done, the way he's been treating everyone, including us, his brother and Kai, but he's just a kid. He's Hiro's little brother. I hate what he's done, but I can't hate him. I can't hate him for Hiro's sake."

"You're feeling torn," Garland says, placing a friendly arm around Claude's shoulders, concern adorning his face when Claude suddenly sinks next to him.

"But I…I feel that if I don't hate him that I'm betraying Miguel and Kai," Claude carries on saying, wrapping his arms around his slender frame as if he's trying to protect himself from the cold. "But then…"

"I get what you're saying," Garland says, cutting him off from continuing. "It's been hard for all of us to swallow. And it will take some time to get used to it, I'm sure. But what we have to realize that Tyson said he was sorry for what he has done and he's trying to make up for what he has done by training. And the fact that he hasn't appeared in this hospital in a coma tells me that he's letting Tala and Bryan train him for the match tomorrow."

A thoughtful expression appears on Claude's face and Garland risks a glance to his other side, noticing that King also has a thoughtful look on his face. "You're right," Claude says after a moment of silence.

"I haven't forgiven him yet," Garland continues. "I'm saving my forgiveness until I can see for myself how sorry he is, and tomorrow we'll know for sure."

"Yeah," King says, speaking up for the first time in this conversation. "The charity match is tomorrow, isn't it?"

"I almost forgot about that," Claude says, straightening his posture with a bashful look on his face.

"Now, lets go find these boyfriends of ours," Garland says suddenly as they walk past the front desk, momentarily forgetting about the nurse with hawk like eyes. "Why should they have all the fun?"

"Wait-a-minute," the nurse says, causing the three youths to stop in their tracks to regard her for a moment. They then realize that she is staring at them with a sense of confusion and suspicion in her eyes.

"Didn't you just take your blonde friend home not half an hour ago?" she asks, pointing directly at King.

King covers his mouth with his hand, trying not to laugh. "Wasn't me," he replies with a small shake of his head.

"We were just visiting Hiro," Garland explains with a shrug, smiling at the woman with a sense of mischievous innocence. "Why?"

The nurse gives the three light-haired youths a very hard and penetrating look, her eyes narrow and accusing. Suddenly, her eyes widen in realization and her face burns a bright red, from anger most likely. She suddenly slams her hands on the table in front of her and abruptly heaves herself to her feet.

"Doctor!" she yells as she marches her way down the hospital corridors, her hands in tight fists by her sides. "He has escaped again!"

The three youths laugh out loud for the first time in ages as they quickly make their own escape through the front doors and into the car park.

--

Oh good God, no.

"Hiro?" Tyson stutters, staring up at the intimidating figure of his older brother. Hiro is looking down at him from his lofty height, his eyes hard as steel, and yet tired as well. Dark bags hang under his eyes, a sign that he probably hasn't been sleeping very well. But despite that, he still looks dangerously angry and…betrayed?

Tyson licks his lips as he unconsciously stumble backwards a couple of steps, feeling more than slightly nervous. What is Hiro doing here? He…doesn't know, does he?

Bryan whips around to towards the older male, a slight look of concern on his face. "What are you doing out of the hospital?" he asks.

"Don't tell us you pulled a Kai on them, did you?" Tala adds, eyeing the older Granger boy critically with his icy blue eyes.

Hiro, however, ignores their questions as he effortlessly jumps down from the tree branch he's standing on, landing on the ground with a slight _thump_. "There's a few things I need to do," he says with a level and clear voice as he walks between the two and over to Tyson, who physically cowers away from him. "I'd appreciate if you let me take care of things from here."

Tala blinks slowly before giving off a slight bristle. "What?" he says, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Annoyance Bryan seems to echo as well.

Bryan isn't ready to stop torturing Tyson just yet. He still hasn't got all his frustrations out. "But-!" he begins to protest.

"Please," Hiro says, cutting them off suddenly, his voice holding a rare hint of pleading to it. He has his back to the two Russians, and yet both of them can easily see the tension in Hiro's shoulder, yet the weariness in his profile. He's angry and annoyed, yet feels guilty and tired.

"Just stand aside," Hiro says to the two, but not once glancing in their direction. His eyes focuses on Tyson, sharp and clear. "I want to speak with my _brother_ about his recent _behavior_."

Tyson visibly gulps, his heart racing a hundred miles per hour. "You know…?" he whispers under his breath, a look of guilt and devastation on his face as he shies back.

Hiro…he knows what he has done…No…

Tala stares at Hiro for a few lingering seconds, still eyeing him critically. After a moment he turns his face away and shares a quick glance with Bryan, a glance of understanding. Bryan seems hesitant to leave, as does Tala, but they've done all they can. It's Hiro's turn.

"Fine," Tala says as he recalls his blade, effortlessly catching it in his hand.

On the other side of Hiro, Bryan mimics the motions, his narrow green eyes staring at the back of his head. "We'll stand aside for now."

"Thank you," Hiro mutters as the two Russian's straighten their postures and sink back into the shadows, out of sight, but not out of mind. It's clear to either Granger that at the slightest provocation, the two with show themselves again. But now, they wait and watch…

"Hiro, I…" Tyson finds himself stuttering, a part of him wanting so bad to deny what's been happening, what he's done, but he can't. The words, the self-denial, they no longer exist. Only thoughts of begrudging acceptation fill him now. Yes, he did hurt Kai, whether on purpose or not, he did do it. The details are not important anymore.

"Stop," Hiro cuts him off harshly, his eyes a mirror image to the emotion in his voice; hard and cold. "You've put shame on our family, Tyson. No matter our endeavors, the Granger's have always managed to keep a level head and our feet planted firmly on the ground. But then you…"

Tyson physically winces as Hiro trails off, his mind filling in the blanks. Then you came along and screwed up. Is that what Hiro is trying to say?

"I still can't believe you would do something like this," Hiro say, shaking his head in disbelief. "To attack a defenseless person, with your own Beyblade at that."

"It was an accident," Tyson mumbles, once again feeling the ever familiar stinging sensation in his eyes, stinging because he refuses to shed any more tears of self pity.

"Why can't I believe that?" Hiro asks him suddenly, his voice loosing the cold and sharp edge, instead a tone of pleading and devastation takes its place. "You've changed. You've changed so much after the world's, Tyson. I wanted to help you grow, not to change into this unrecognizable selfish brat you've become."

A gut wrenching feeling grabs hold of Tyson and his almost blanches. "What?"

Is that…is that what Hiro really thinks of him? A selfish brat?

"Go back to the way you were before, Tyson," Hiro continues speaking, desperation in his voice as well, mixing well with the disbelief, the denial and the pleading. "Before you became a world champion, before you became a BladeBreaker. Remember a time where you enjoyed training to become stronger, where you liked to blade because it was fun and exciting. Think back to the time where winning wasn't important, but learning new tricks and making new friends."

Standing in complete silence, Tyson lets his brother's words wash over him, and his mind begin to wander. The thrill of participating in tournaments for the first time under the BladeBreaker title was possibly the most thrilling time of his life. The lights, the cheers, and yet the challenges of being the underdogs. They were a new team, a team of virtual strangers, blading together with the sole purpose of getting stronger. They wanted to become the best, but becoming the best doesn't mean winning all the time.

Didn't Kai once say that you learn more from losing than you do from winning?

Traveling from country to country, meeting new and exciting people and becoming best friends in the mean time. When did the thrill leave? When did the idea of meeting a new up-and-coming team seem like a hassle, when before, they would have jumped at the chance?

When did the excitement leave…?

"Please remember who you were before all of this," Hiro says, grabbing Tyson by the shoulders and looking into his eyes. "Before the fame."

Slowly, Tyson focuses his attention at his older brother and his heart leaps into his chest when he looks into his eyes, eyes that are shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm sorry," Tyson chokes on a sob, tears now flowing freely down his cheeks. "I've been so stupid, haven't I?"

A look of hope appears in Hiro's eyes as he shakes his head. "It isn't too late to change back," he whispers.

Tyson bows his head and rubs at his eyes and cheeks with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry."

Hiro eyes softens with a sense of pride and he wraps his arms around him in hug, a small smile gracing his lips. "Welcome back, little brother."

"I'm sorry, I really am," Tyson whispers as he clings to his older brother, his body shaking from exhaustion; mentally, physically and emotionally.

Hiro runs his fingers through his brother's hair. "I know," he whispers, happy to have his little brother back. "Now, lets go home and get some rest. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

--

The day's warmth and light slowly begins to dissipate, the cooling night air taking it's place. The sun sinks slowly over the water of the pristine bay, an array of colors dancing in the sky as small diamonds begins to sparkle in the night sky. It is a beautiful site.

An yet, Miguel isn't watching it play out from his bedroom window. Instead, his eyes stay focus on the one being he finds more beautiful; his young lover, Kai.

Wrapping his arms around the slender youth, Miguel holds him tightly against his chest as they lie in each other's arms on Kai's soft and welcoming bed. Kai is nestled soundly against Miguel's chest, his hands grasping at the material tightly, almost fearful that if he lets go, he'll disappear.

He has nothing to fear, however. Miguel isn't going anywhere. He refuses to leave his side, especially with what Kai has been through the last couple of weeks. Nothing is going to take him away from Kai ever again.

Placing a gentle kiss on Kai's forehead as he peacefully sleeps in his arms, Miguel holds him closer, feeling that this is the only way he can be sure that Kai won't be hurt. A large part of him wants nothing more than to keep Kai in his arms, like this, for all of eternity, if the other small part of him knows that isn't physically possible.

But that doesn't mean he's not going to try.

"In less than a few hours, the charity match will begin," Miguel whispers to himself. The charity match, seems like its more of a hassle than its worth.

"Miguel?" Kai suddenly whispers, lifting his head to blink at him with his ruby red eyes lined with confusion.

Miguel draws in a deep breath and releases it on a sigh. "You still want to go, don't you?" he asks softly.

Kai also sighs and nods his head. "Yeah."

"Kai…"

Kai places his finger on Miguel's lips, momentarily stopping him from trying to protest. "We've had this conversation before, remember?" he says as he removes his finger and snuggles up to him, pressing himself against Miguel's broad chest. "I'll be in the officials' box with you and Mr. Dickinson."

"I know," Miguel finally whispers after a moment of silent contemplating on how he can trick Kai into staying home with him, but knows he can't do that to his lover. "I love you."

"Hmm," Kai hums as his eyelids begin to droop again, a small and sincere smile appearing on his lips. "I love you, too."

Running his fingers through the two tone blue hair, Miguel watches as Kai's breathing evens out, telling him that his enigmatic boyfriend has fallen asleep. Good. He needs the rest.

Tomorrow, the real test begins. Has Tyson really learnt from his mistakes and has he come to realized how important Kai was, and still is, to his life and those around him?

No matter the outcome, whether Tyson wins or loses, Miguel is staying by Kai's side, even if he has to move to Japan himself.

* * *

Aw, brotherly bonding and Miguel/Kai fluffiness at the end. Isn't that cute? Squee!

Please review.


	21. Never Realized Until Now

Reviews: my sincerest thanks to; Dranza, Amongst-Azarath, Blaze Queenie, Painted Ys, Tenshi of Freedom, or-chan, OnlyNotReally, Anime Girl23, Rapunzelle, glitteredvixen06, Nameless Little Girl, pheonix80, chrono-contract, PhoenixTears25, vlissan, the Light Shadow and kit572 for taking the time to review! Loves hearing from every one of you X3

Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out, I have writers block with this story. So annoying!

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**Chapter 21**

**Never Realized Until Now**

The atmosphere in the dojo has never been so tense before. No loud voices booming to be heard, no complaints and fights raging over the smallest thing. No, the only source of life comes from the light in the lounge room, the sight of five teens littering the floor in various sitting positions.

"Finally, the charity match is tomorrow," Ray mutters softly, more so to himself than to anyone else.

On the opposite side of the room, Hilary nods. "Yeah, it's strange that it's only been about three weeks, huh?" she comments, referring to the hectic few weeks they've all been through.

"Yeah…" Ray trails off, a look of guilt appearing on his face as he too recalls the last few weeks, weeks he hopes he will never have to go through again.

A sigh passes Kenny's lips as he adjusts the glasses on his head, finally taking his eyes away from his laptop. "With everything that's been happening, if feels like a year has been and gone."

Once again, Hilary nods, her brown hair swaying with the movements. "That's true…"

"Do you think Tala and Bryan will find the guy who attacked Kai?" Ray suddenly asks, knowing that Kai's condition, laying in the hospital, is on each and every one's mind. He knows for certain that they are all wondering the same thing.

"I hope so," Max mutters, uncharacteristically bitter as his blue eyes shimmer with a feeling of uselessness and frustration. "I can't believe how anyone would do something like that to Kai."

Murmurs of agreement follow, but Ray suddenly frowns, a sense of self-loathing appearing on his expression. Yes, it's hard to believe that anyone out there would want to hurt Kai physically, but a lot of people hurt him mentally and emotionally with their harsh words and low expectations of him, most without meaning too. But, nevertheless, they still abuse him.

And when he means 'they' he means everyone in this room, including himself and a certain world champion.

"Then again," he mutters bitterly. "It's kinda hard to believe that anyone would take advantage of Kai like we do."

A heavy and uncomfortable silence fills the room as everyone winces at the words and bows their heads in shame. What could have possibly came over them to use Kai the way they did? Not only did they use him when it was convenient to them, they verbally abused him and was generally disrespectful of them. He didn't ask for much, only that they train at least once a week, but they couldn't even indulge Kai with that.

Despite Kai's best efforts to keep their feet planted sorely on the ground, they grew arrogant and obnoxious. Just generally full of themselves, believing that they are the champions and they don't need to train.

When did that happen? When did they become so full of themselves and turn their back on something they love? Was it because the defeat of BEGA, or was it because the battles that came afterwards, battles that were hardly a challenge?

Ray might not be able to pinpoint the exact time and date where they became like those obnoxious celebrities in the gossip magazines, but he can tell you the exact time and date to the second where that arrogance fled him; the moment he found out that Kai was sick and the two badass bladers from Russia were going to be his coaches until Kai recovers.

One look of disgust from not only Tala and Bryan, but from Hiro and Gramps himself made him realize what he had done and how he was going to pay for it.

That fact was driven home when Miguel stopped by during their training and verbally lashed out at them. Patient and friendly Miguel threatening bodily harm while he face was screwed up in an uncharacteristic glare? Pretty scary stuff.

Ray had grown a whole new type of respect for Kai during those weeks. And if Kai tells him to jump off a cliff, he's going to jump off that cliff to keep him happy.

And looking around at everyone else in this room, he can safely say they would do the same thing.

"…We're just as guilty as the one who attacked him, aren't we?" Hilary finally whispers, her eyes prickling with tears at the realization.

"Yeah…"

Max has been silent the entire time, keeping his hands folded in his lap as he stares down at them. He's has been hit the hardest by Kai's condition. Kai is like an older brother to him, but lately Max realizes he has been acting like an obnoxious little brother.

Well, it's time to make up for that!

"We'll win the charity match tomorrow," Max suddenly announces with determination in his voice and expression, startling those around him. "We can do this, you guys."

Ray stares at Max for a moment, but then a smile appears on his face. Max's optimism and enthusiasm is contagious. "Yeah, we have to," he agrees, turning to face everyone else in the room and noting that they too are looking brighter, knowing that they have a chance to make up for their past mistakes. "For Kai."

"For Kai!" Everyone cheers, smiling brightly for the first time in ages.

Suddenly, Hilary's smile falters and looks around the room, noting that there is someone missing. "Hey, where's Tyson?" she asks and looks of confusion greets her.

"I haven't seen him since we found out about Kai…" Ray says, trailing off as he presses his lips together tightly to ward off the images of Kai laying in his hospital bed.

"You don't…" Max trails off, a sense of sadness in his blue eyes. "You don't think he's still trying to skip out on training?"

Ray would be lying to say that thought didn't cross his mind at some point. "I…don't know," he says. "He looked devastated at the hospital, though."

"Yeah," Max says as he taps his chin in thought. "He looked as if he was going to pass out. Maybe he's training by himself?"

"That could be possible," Ray says as he shrugs. Normally, Tyson avoids training like the plague, but lately anything is possible.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening and closing pulls everyone out of their thoughts as they listen to the sound of feet approaching them. A moment later a certain older Granger brother appears, looking weary and let a sense of happiness shimmers in his eyes. He steps into the room, and in doing so, reveals that he is carrying something that appears to be snoring loudly on his back.

Everyone jumps to their feet when they realize they Hiro is carrying a sore and sorry Tyson on his back, who in turns appears to be in a deep sleep of exhaustion.

"Ah, Hiro!" Kenny says in surprise at seeing the older male.

"Shhh!" Hiro quickly scowls the small brunette as he indicates to the sleeping bundle on his back. "He's asleep."

Max tiptoes to his way over to him and peers into Tyson's face, noting that he is indeed a asleep, and that he is covered in scrapes and bruises. "What happened?" he asks, looking up at Hiro with a sense of alarm.

"It's been a long day of training," Hiro says as a warm smile appears on his face. "He's just tired."

"So, he has been training," Ray mutters, unable to hide the surprise in his voice completely.

"That's right," Hiro confirms. "He even let Tala and Bryan give him a few tips."

Max's eyes widen so much in surprise, they nearly fell out of his head. "Wow, really?"

"Yes," Hiro chuckles as he walks out of the lounge room and into Tyson's bedroom, carefully placing his little brother on his bed, laying him on top of the covers as it's a warm night outside. He gazes down at his little brother and tenderly pats his head.

"He's growing up."

---------------------

"Welcome Beyblade fans to this special beybattle!" DJ Jazzman yells into his microphone as cheers and screams of joy echoes around the arena.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kai draws in a deep breath. Even in the official's private viewing area, the noise of the flamboyant announcer and the screams of the fans in the seats below still makes his ears ring from pain.

Maybe this isn't such a good idea.

But he wants to see first hand whether if Grev have improve in their skills, talents and personalities. Tala and Bryan have forced them to train, but whether any of the teens actually took anything in is yet to be seen. They appeared genuine when they visited him while he was in hospital, but he has to know for sure.

Looking down at his hands folded on his lap, Kai can't help but feel a bit nervous. He hasn't had a decent conversation or moment spent with his teammates in ages. He can't help but think that some of them might actually be happy that he isn't around, but then again, his mind takes him back to the hospital where Max was crying for him.

He doesn't ask for much. All he wants is a bit of respect and appreciation.

Is that really so wrong?

Next to him, Miguel wraps an arm around his shoulders, his other hand moving up to feel his forehead, his brow furrow in concern. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to come."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Kai simply nods instead. Miguel did say that this event was going to prove to be rather noisy. "I didn't think they would be this loud," he confesses, visibly wincing when another cheer goes up. "Are they announcing the teams?"

"Yeah," Miguel replies, helping Kai to his feet and over to the windows. "They just announced the other team. The BeyStrikers or something."

Rolling his eyes at the originality, Kai presses his hands against the glass and peers down at the beydish. Soon, the familiar name of his team rings out and a deafening roar soon follows. He ignores the noise the best he can and focuses his gaze as a group of familiar teens as they appear.

Stepping out first, cutting a tall and proud figure, is Hiro, and behind him appears the others, one by one. First, a certain neko-jin, striding into the arena with his usual catlike grace. He gives a polite nod and smile to the cameras and the cheering fans, but he doesn't falter in his steps.

Next, Max walks in, appearing as his usually bright and happy self. He too gives a wave to the audience, but keeps his steps in time with Ray's as they walk over to the side of the beydish.

Next, Daichi, Kenny and Hilary follow, Daichi jumping and hooting around like the little bundle of energy he is while Hilary tries to keep him under control somewhat.

And then…Tyson appears. He walks in, his head bowed, his long bangs covering his eyes in a dark shadow. Defying everyone's expectations, he ignores the mass of media personnel and walks over to the bench, taking a seat next to his brother. No enthused waving of the arms, no declarations of love for his fans, no boasting of being the best blader ever, nothing of the sort.

Kai would have dropped to the ground in disbelief if Miguel didn't have an arms securely around his waist. Then, a small smile appears on his lips as he watches his teammates gather around Hiro, listening to his advice and game plan.

"They've changed," Miguel mutters, a sense of disbelief in his voice and expression.

"No," Kai shakes his head, the smile still lingering. "They're back to the way they used to be."

"Are you ok?" Miguel asks gently, his arms still holding Kai close to him.

"I'm fine," he whispers, momentarily realizing that others have enter the viewing box as well, all of them wearing the same look of disbelief as Miguel.

Bryan, Tala, King, Garland and Claude. They all press themselves to the glass as well, wanting to see how things will play out. The Russians, no doubt, watching with critical gazes, ready to jump on anything they do wrong with words of criticism.

This will prove to be an interesting battle.

"First up from G Revolution is none other than Tyson and his bitbeast Dragoon!" DJ announces and a chorus of cheers erupts from the stands. "And his opponent from the BeyStrikers is-!"

"Hang on a sec," Tyson suddenly interrupts, walking up to the beydish but pausing to stand near DJ. "I want to say something."

The brown-haired announcer looks at Tyson for a moment, blinking his hazel eyes with confusion. "Er," he says as he gazes over to the stands, seeing a certain short and stout official amongst the masses of murmuring fans.

Mr. Dickinson nods his head in approval, the ever understanding smile on his lips. Next to him sits the oldest Granger, Grandpa, he too smiling brightly.

"Sure," DJ says as he hands Tyson his microphone to take. "What is it?"

Tyson takes the microphone and stares at it for a moment, seemingly fighting to find the words he needs to express himself. "I just want to say…," he says as the murmuring quiets down. "This match is going to be dedicated to Kai. I'm doing this for him. I've done some…very stupid things in my life. Very stupid things. And Kai, well, he's the one who has always paid the price for my…behavior."

Once again, Kai has to cling onto Miguel to keep himself from falling back in shock. Around him, he hears gasps of astonishment echo through the silent official's box. It appears that Tyson's admission is completely unexpected.

"And this is to prove how sorry I am," Tyson continues, ignoring the gasps from his teammates and the audience members around him. "And how grateful I am for everything he's done. I just hope it's not to late…" he murmurs the last part, the microphone only just picking it up.

Back in the official's box, a stun silence still reigns supreme as everyone stares down with blatant looks of surprises on their faces. "Did he just apologize?" King murmurs, blinking his visible eye slowly.

"I must admit," Tala murmurs as he continues to stare down at the navy-haired blader. "That took some guts."

"We're not allowed to kill him now, are we?" Bryan asks with only a small hint of disappointment in his tone.

Slowly, Kai shakes head as his eyes soften, watching as Tyson gives DJ back his microphone and moves to stand on his side of the dish again. He certainly has come a long way since they last meet. The arrogant boy claiming to be the best is no longer present it would appear.

"I think he's learnt his lesson," he whispers but then turns to face Miguel when he feels his lover tighten his arms around him and remembers the ultimatum he gave Tyson back at the hospital. "Miguel?"

"I guess that means I can't take you to Spain, can I?" He murmurs with blatant disappointment in his voice.

"Not yet," Kai says as he nuzzles his head under his chin, silently reassuring him. "But you will one day, I promise."

"That's ok," Miguel suddenly says as he places a kiss to the top of his head. "I guess that means I'll just have to move here."

Kai blinks his eyes a few times before pulling back to look into his lover's stunning blue eyes. "Miguel?"

Miguel simply smiles warmly down at him as he moves forward and places another kiss upon him, this time on the lips. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

A warm smile appears on Kai's lips when he sees that his boyfriend is being serous and leans into his chest, once again nestling his head under his chin. "You're going to be my protective bodyguard, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Miguel says with a chuckle.

"Hey," King suddenly says, gaining everyone's attention. "The battle is going to start!"

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X3 End! Mawhahahaha! Like the cliffy? Yeah? -_dodges a chair_- Eep!

Please review.


	22. It Makes Sense Now

Reviews: Thank you so much to; pheonix80, dragonfire7654321, Taijiya Mizu, Vina Eldest Siren of Fire, Demolition-GIRL-33236, Tenshi of Freedom, Painted Ys, OnlyNotReally, vlissan, Rapunzelle, Surrealtraversity, chrono-contract, Lirin Sama, Blaze Queenie, the Light Shadow, Anime Girl23, glitteredvixen06, kaitouahiru and MikaMiko for reviewing! –_glomps everyone randomly_-

Sorry about the lateness, had a bit of difficulty with his chapter as I hate writing beybattles. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 22:**

**It Makes Sense Now**

"This is it," Tyson whispers to himself as he attaches Dragoon to his launcher, his eyes closing as he tries to focus himself.

He can't lose this battle. There's way too much riding on it. Not only his reputation as a world class blader, but the need to prove to everyone that he has changed. Kai, his brother, his friends; he need to prove to them, all of them. He's not the obnoxious blader who was only interested in winning anymore.

He is Tyson Granger; wielder of the powerful bitbeast Dragoon, younger brother of Hiro, and best friends with his teammates, and most important, someone who admires his captain, Kai.

"Bladers ready?" DJ asks, pulling Tyson out of his thoughts.

Tyson simply answers by lifting his launcher and pointing it over the beydish. He opens his eyes and stares down his opponent, a teen with dark brown hair with a streak of crimson red in one of his bangs that hangs over his chocolate brown eyes.

He's opponent's name is Marco, a blader a mere year younger than he is, and possesses a gung-ho like attitude towards his blading. Very little is known about his blade and bitbeast, though. Tyson remembers Kenny telling him something like that before they entered the arena for their battles.

Looking into his brown eyes, Tyson sees a reflection of himself when he was younger; when he first started to blade. Every battle was something he looked forward to and enjoyed. The thrill of facing your unknown opponent for the first time, seeing the design of their blade, watching and learning their skills.

He still can't believe he lost sight of all that.

Taking a moment to glance at the roaring crowds around him, most of them chanting his name over and over again; he suddenly realizes something; these kids, his fans, they all look up to him. In the younger kids' eyes, he's their idol. Their role model.

He has a huge responsibility on his shoulders, for if he loses himself to the hype of the media, disregarding the true meaning of blading, they will to. There would be a generation of bladers who only want to get their faces on TV and win.

If that happens…the true meaning of Beyblade would be lost.

He can't let that happen. It's up to him to show them what Beyblade is all about, teach them what Kai tried to teach him ever since they first met. Those battles outside the arena are just as significant and important as the ones inside.

"Ready?" DJ asks again for good measure. "Three, two, one; let it rip!"

"Let it rip!" Both Tyson and Marco cry out as the tear their ripcords through their launches, their blades easily landing in the red beydish and begin to travel in circles around the dish, seemingly taking a few moments to size up their competitor.

"I've trained long and hard for this moment," Marco says as a grin appears on his face, but his brown eyes serious as he watches his blade critically. He's taking this battle seriously, and yet he is still happy. He's having a good time, facing down the Japanese Champion, even though many of those around him tell him repeatedly that there was no way for him to win.

Treat each battle as if it was the greatest one you've ever faced, because who knows? It just might be.

Kai said that to him once, a long time ago. He didn't particularly understand it back then, but now, it's starting to make sense to him.

"Let's see what you've got," Tyson says as he pumps his fist in front of him. "Dragoon!"

Marco nods and throws out his arm, signally for his blade. "Let's go, Wyrm!"

"Wha-?" Tyson says, deadpanning when he hears what his opponent just called out. "Did you just call you bitbeast a worm?"

A frown appears on Marco's face, before twisting into a pout as he clenches his hands into fists by his sides. "That's his name, genius," he mutters, a tad bitterly. It seems others have made fun of his bitbeast's name before.

It can't he helped, though. Who would think that a worm could be a bitbeast? What's next? A snail or a slug?

Tyson places his hands on his hips and throws his head back on a laugh. "That's a funny name!" he grins.

Marco's eyebrow gives a twitch of annoyance before a sly smirk appears on his lips. "Heh, you won't be laughing when he see him," he says, signaling for his blade again. "Tyson, meet my bitbeast Wyrm!"

"This is going to be interesting to see," Tyson chuckles, but then his eyes widen as Marco's blade begins to glow an earthy red color.

A feeling of dread overtakes him as the bitchip now begins to glow a dark red and Tyson realizes yet another bit of advice Kai gave him a long time ago; never make fun of someone's else's bitbeast, especially if they have a weird name as they are often the most powerful ones.

He has a feeling that he's going to get quite a surprise…

A thick red smoke engulfs Marco's blader, and out of that smoke raises a tall dragon like creature. A gasp radiates from the crowd and judges alike.

Marco's bitbeast is huge, about as big as the majestic Dragoon. It's covered with scales that appear to be as hard as steel but a dark red in color; its claws and fangs just as terrifying and a bone white in color. It's clearly a fire bitbeast as flames appear from its nose in short bursts whenever the beast breathes out. Its head is very much like that of a horse, long and narrow, its eyes tiny and beady and a sheer white in color. Its body is long and appears to be rather scrawny, but with its slimmer design, it will no doubt be fast in attacking.

Tyson has never seen a bitbeast quite like this before.

"_There are many different types of bitbeasts out there, Tyson,"_ He remembers Kai scowling at him once when he boasted about already knowing all about the types of bitbeasts. _"It's not physically possible to have seen them all, you should know that."_

Once again, Kai is right; no surprise there.

"Tch," he grins as he scratches his nose with his finger, a grin on his lips. "Doesn't matter how big your bitbeast is, I'll still win this match."

A smirk spreads across Marco's face, focusing fully on the battle. "We'll see about that."

"I must admit," Bryan murmurs from his advantage point in the official's box. "That's one ugly bitbeast."

Next to him, Garland stands with a look of surprise on his face, an expression being worn by the others as well. "I've never seen a bitbeast quite like that before."

The only person who doesn't have a look of surprise on his face is Kai. Instead, he draws his eyebrows together in thought, seeming recognizing the characteristics of this sacred spirit. He has studied a lot about sacred spirits over the years, a hobby his has for no reason other than to fulfill his curiosity. And to come to a better understanding with his own beloved bitbeast, Dranzer.

Many others refer to his fascination with the spirits as an interest in the occult, but to him, he prefers to call it Spiritual Understanding.

Next to him, Miguel seems to notice his thoughtful look and gives him his full attention. Kai has always had an amazing connection with the spiritual plain, and nature as well. He has this uncanny sixth sense to know when it will rain or storm, and out of all his predictions, Miguel can't recall a time where he was wrong.

"Have you seen this bitbeast before?" he asks as he gives Kai a gentle squeeze around his waist to pull him from his deep thoughts. Sometimes, Kai can be so deep in thought that he blocks everything else out around him. However, it seems that a gentle nudge or a whispered word from him is enough to pull Kai back to reality.

"I've heard of it," Kai murmurs a reply, instantly gaining the attention of those around him.

"Do you know much about it?" King asks from his spot next to Tala, who is standing next to Kai.

Kai nods. "Despite the name, Marco's bitbeast isn't a worm, it's a dragon. It is said to be widespread in the northern countries, but lives deep underground, jealously guarding age old gems and gold," he explains, sounding much like an expert, but without the overpowering sense of smugness that many carry.

"Does it have a weakness?" Miguel asks, his interest in the spiritual plain –as Kai likes to refer to it as- has grown significantly since meeting Kai. He always had a mild interest, and it was one of the reasons why he bonded with Kai so well when they first met.

Once again, Kai nods his head in the positive. "Yes, it has a soft throat and underbelly," he explains, taking a moment to be silent to think of a possible plan of attack. "The best chance Tyson has is to somehow get his opponent's blade into the air so he can get underneath is, striking its weak point."

Tala turns his attention back to the battle, his eyes narrowing as he studies Marco's blade. "At first, it's appears that Marco's blade is all about defense, but in reality, it's actually about attacking with very little defense."

"Ah, I get it," King says as he turns his visible eye to his redheaded lover. "It's a facade to trick Tyson into believing he's all about defense and when he draws back to think of a strategy, he'll attack."

"That's pretty clever," Tala smirks.

Standing next to Miguel, Bryan nods his head as well. "If Tyson can avoid he's attacks, then he might have a chance."

"If he can work out its weakness," Garland points out, turning his blue eyes to his boyfriend, who in turn looks at him as well. "Do you think he will?"

"Only one way to find out," Bryan mutters as he slips an arm around Garland's shoulders and pulls him against his side.

"Hiro no doubt already knows, but is leaving it up to Tyson to learn on his own," Claude says as he turns his eyes to his own boyfriend and they soften immediately when he notices, even at this height, he can see that Hiro's body is tense. His eyes are hard and focus, his arms folded over his chest and his fingers gripping his arms almost painfully.

"Hiro ," Claude whispers as a soft smile on his lips. "It's probably killing him inside, not being able to intervene."

Boy! Did his laugh at Wyrm's expense come back to bite him in the ass, avoiding let another attack from him. No matter how many times he tries to find a weak spot in Marco's attack and defense, he always manages to avoid his blade. He always hits the top of the blade and not the side, where it would have the most impact.

Gritting his teeth, Tyson narrows his eyes as he stares at his opponent's blade. There has to be a chink in the armor and stagey somewhere. Turning his eyes to the bitbeasts above, he watches the red dragon for a moment, and his eyes widen with a sense of realization when he notices that each time he tries to attack, Wyrm would coil away, lowering its neck and stomach as far as possible.

Wait, it's almost as if Wyrm is trying to protect its stomach, the way it turns its back to him each time.

That's it! Marco's blade is all about attack, and less about defense as he left an obviously gapping chink in his armor; the bottom of the blade. A very common rookie mistake, the same one he made when he first started as well.

"I've got you now!" Marco calls as he lifts up an arm to signal his blade to attack.

"Heh, as if." A grin slips across Tyson's face. It's been a while since he ever felt this pumped before. Just like old times. "Dragoon, Galaxy Turbo Twister, let's get this thing airborne!"

An expression of surprise flitters across Marco's face, then a sense of dread when he seems to realize what Tyson is trying to. "No, Wyrm evade!"

"Too late," Tyson says as a strong wind picks up, a white column of air circling around his blade. The turbulent wind hits Marco's blade, causing it become off balance and unsteady, its spinning motion slowing down considerably.

"No!" Marco cries as he tries to regain control over his blade, but it's too late. Tyson's blue and white blade easily navigates through the howling wind, expertly hitting his blade as it tilts to its side

Wyrm gives a final cry of defeat before returning to its blade as it comes to a rest at Marco's feet.

"Marco's blade has been knocked out of the dish," DJ calls into his microphone. "The winner of this round is; Tyson!"

A huge roar from the crowd erupts and everyone begins chanting Tyson's name over and over again. Tyson looks up at the crowds, a sense of pride appearing in his chest, realizing with a sense of awe that everyone is cheering for him.

He then turns to Marco, who is on his knee, clutching his blade tightly in his hands. "You did a great job, Wyrm."

"Hey, nice battle," Tyson compliments as he walks over to him, offering his hand for him to take. "I guess we'll be seeing you in the next championships, huh?"

Marco looks at the hand and then into Tyson's face, noting that he is smiling sincerely at him and he returns it with one of his own. "Count on it!" he says as he takes Tyson's hand and pulls himself to his feet.

The crowd erupts into cheers again, this time they are chanting both names.

"Well, he managed to pull it off," Tala says as he turns his back to the commotion and leans against the glass, his arms folded over his chest. "I didn't think he would."

A half snort, half chuckles passes Bryan's lips as he shrugs. "Neither did I," he admits.

"He has improved greatly," Kai says with a hint of pride in his voice before turning to his two fellow Russians and giving them a sly little grin. "Maybe I should get the two of you to train him again."

Garland laughs softly as he rests his head on Bryan's shoulder. "I'm sure they would like that," he whispers, teasingly.

"Oh, we'll enjoy it," Bryan says with a sadistic smirk on his lips. "Tyson, on the other hand…"

The others around him couldn't help but laugh softly amongst themselves.

* * *

Argh! I hate writing Beybattles T.T I suck so badly at them. I really do. And to think, I have Ray and Max to do yet. –_bawls-_

Please review.


	23. Putting On A Show

Reviews: Wow, thanks so much everyone who reviewed; chrono-contract, glitteredvixen06, Anime Girl23, Demolition-GIRL-33236, SherryBird, OnlyNotReally, Painted Ys, Vina Eldest Siren of Fire, the Light Shadow, Tenshi of Freedom, Blaze Queenie, Rapunzelle, american farmer, Miako6, vlissan, pheonix80, Lirin Sama, dragonlilly1993, grey-shadow-horse, kaitouahiru, JCPyrofire and DarkBombayAngel! –_glomps_-

Finally, an update! Yay me! Ok, not really. Sorry about the wait. Anywho, this is probably the second last chapter, but I make no promises. Truth be told, I wasn't planning this fic to go on for so long, but once again I was invaded by plot bunnies. They're sneaky little buggers, I can tell you.

Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter either way!

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**Chapter 23:**

**Putting On A Show**

Stepping away from the beydish, ignoring the cheering crowds roaring all around him, Tyson descends the steps of the podium and walks straight over to Hiro, who has taken to his feet and moment he won his battle. Finding his older brother's taller figure looming over him as he comes to a stop a mere foot away makes him feel intimidated and uncharacteristically shy.

Was his battle good enough? Did he prove to everyone out there that the egotistical brat they all knew is no more?

Did he prove that he is worthy of Kai's friendship and presence?

With a blank look on his face, Hiro stares down at his little brother, his mahogany eyes searching Tyson's face. A long, drawn out moment passes between them, the sounds of the fans screaming and yelling their praise fade off into the distance as they are not what is truly important right now, especially not for Tyson.

Acceptance, forgiveness, understanding; they are what matters to him now.

Around him, he is mildly aware that his fellow teammates are all staring at them, a heavy haze of confusion lingering over them, no one knowing what is truly going on or his sudden personality change.

They don't seem to know what he has done, and he hopes they never will, but he understands that if it ever did, their reactions to his appalling behavior would be his punishment for what he has done.

"Tyson," Hiro starts and Tyson's swallows thickly.

"Yes?"

Suddenly, a soft smile appears on Hiro's lips. "That was a good battle. You should be proud of yourself."

Tyson stares at his older brother in disbelief for a moment, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as those words final begin to sink in. Hiro's not mad at him anymore...

"Yeah!" he says happily, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes but he swallows thickly, refusing to let them fall. He has already scared the fans enough for today, suddenly breaking down would scare the shit out of them, right?

"But," Hiro goes on to say with a slight scowling tone to his voice. "You still have a lot to learn about respecting other people's bitbeasts. You shouldn't mock their names like that."

"Well, he certainly showed me!" Tyson says with a grin, knowing that Hiro is scowling him, but he doesn't care. He's so happy right now, better than he has felt for a long time now. He apologized to Kai, had a great beybattle, met a potential champion in the making, saw a cool and powerful bitbeast, and his brother is accepting of him again.

And what makes him feel even better is that he didn't do it for the fans, he did all this for himself, and to prove to those who really matter to him how he wasn't the brat he projected himself to be for the last few months. As much as he loves his fans, his family, friends and teammates are all that really matter to him. They were by his side before he became famous, and when the fame dies down, they will be there for him afterwards.

Hopefully, the new up-in-coming Beyblade teams will realize that and stay grounded.

Looking over the beydish, Tyson watches as Marco walks over to his teammates, and is immediately set upon by the only female blader on his team. She has short and choppy electric blue hair that hangs just above her shoulders. She seems to be snarling something at Marco, bristling wildly. There is no doubt in Tyson's mind that the girl is cranky because Marco lost.

Not that Marco seems to be paying much attention to her. He's looking off to the side, a large grin on his face and talking to a shorter guy with spiky red hair who seems to be staring at him in admiration.

Immediately, a guy with the same coloured hair as the girl, but much messier with a long pony tail hanging down his back, pushes his way between the two, his hands in front of him in a calming notion. The girl bristles even more and snarls something at him, but he doesn't back down. She eventually gives up, huffing and folding her arms over her chest in irritated defeat.

As Tyson watches the group, he can't help but realize that he and his friends were like that once. Filled with excitement and enthusiasm, wondering how awesome their next battle would be.

And those days aren't gone, they don't have to be.

Looking over to his own team, he notices that they are tiny bit excited as well, but more nervous than anything. There's a lot riding on this charity match; if they don't win they could lose Kai...for good! Even though he knows Kai would be better off with Miguel in Spain, a part of him remains selfish, wanting Kai to stay here in Japan, wanting their team to stay together forever. They are his friends, his best friends. He'd be lost without them.

"I can't believe I only just realized that now," he mutters as he gazes at his teammates.

"Is there something wrong, Tyson?"

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Tyson tilts his head to the side, regarding the voice that belongs to none other than Kenny, the one who has been by his side the longest, never once abandoning him in his time of need.

"Just thinking chief," Tyson quickly replies with a gracious smile before pumping his fist and turning towards the beydish again. "And totally stoked about the next battle! Who's blading next?"

"Ray and Erica," Kenny explains as he types away on his laptop, his fingers gliding over the keys effortlessly. "She has a bitbeast called Preyton."

"Hang on!" a female voice suddenly calls over the roar of the fans, silencing them for a moment in surprise. Everyone turns their attention to the other side of the beydish where the young female now known to Tyson as Erica stands with one hand on her hip, the other pointing out across the dish and directly at Ray.

"I can take this loser easily," she says as a smirk appears on her lips. "But what do you say we up the ante a bit?"

"What are you doing, Erica?" the guy with the same blue hair asks, a panic look on his face, looking on the verge of freaking out.

"Back off, Piers, I know what I'm doing," she says in a very harsh tone as she glares over her shoulder at him before turning her attention back to the stunned Grev. "How about my brother and I against you two losers?" she says, indicating to Ray and Max.

Silence falls over the entire arena, the fans for once not making a noise. All eyes are on Erica who is grinning confidently as she continues to stare down her opponents, urging them to take the bait.

"Er, did she just call Ray and Max losers?" Claude asks from the spectator's box, his face oddly blank as he isn't sure how to take to the current change in circumstances. In fact, everyone surrounding him as also sporting expressions of disbelief.

"She's getting ahead of herself," Miguel mutters and then sighs deeply, he has encountered many up and coming bladers with the same gun-ho attitude. The females in particular are all for girlpower and boys suck routine. It's deeply irritating; especially they way they yell foul when they lose.

Kai nods, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly at the girl's lack of respect. "Not to mention she's a bit arrogant," he murmurs under his breath. He doesn't like it when some unknown blader calls his teammates losers. He has trained them hard to get them where they are today; calling them losers is like insulting him as well.

"A two on two battle?" Tala murmurs as he folds his arms over his chest, a look of displeasure on his face. "Who does she think she is?"

"Aren't they a little too new to the circuit to be making demands like that?" Bryan mutters as he slaps his forehead. "Kids these days…"

A sudden cheer from the audience erupts, following through with chants of a two on two battle between the four of them. "The fans are all for it," Garland comments as he takes a moment to listen to the rowdy spectators.

King turns to him and gives him a small smile. "I guess since this is a charity match, they should give the fans what they want."

"You're right," Garland replies with a smile of his own before the two light haired teens turn back to the impending battle.

"How do you think they'll do, Kai?" Miguel asks the teen in his arms, positioning them so Kai's back is against his chest and his chin is resting on the top of his head, both of them gazing out into the area with anticipation in their eyes.

"Max and Ray have never teamed up before," Kai says with a sense of uncertainty in his voice. "So, I'm not sure."

"Well, you taught them to get their strengths off each other, right?" Miguel says with smile on his lips, a sense of confidence in his voice as he places a soft kiss to his temple. "I'm sure they will do just fine," he whispers into his ear.

"Yeah," Kai says as he sinks further against him. "You're right."

"What do you say, Max?" Ray asks as he takes a moment to glance all around him at the cheering fans, every single one of them chanting their names in hero worship.

Standing silent and still, Max glances around as well, a sense of awe filling his being. They are all chanting his name, cheering for him and his friends. He doesn't know any of their names, but they know his and they care enough to come here, sitting in hard and uncomfortable seats to watch and cheer him on.

They came here for a battle, not a show.

"Let's show these two how to really blade, Max," Ray says as he pulls him out of his thoughts by placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a friendly wink. "Well?"

"Sounds good to me!" Max says enthusiastically. "It's time to let everyone see what Kai has taught us."

"Yeah," Ray says with a smile before turning to the young female waiting impatiently on the other side of the dish. "Alright, we accept your challenge."

Erica smiles triumphantly and grabs Piers' wrist in her hand and drags the reluctant boy towards the beydish. "I knew you would," she says as she drops his wrist. "Nothing like a show to get the fans going."

"I prefer to think they are here to see a good beybattle, not a show," Ray says as he and Max approach the dish, their launchers in their hands.

"Same thing," Erica shrugs as she, too, pulls out her launcher, attaching a cherry red blade to it.

"Erica," Piers says in a warning tone as he attaches a bright blue blade to a white launcher. "How many times do I have to tell you to take a battle seriously? There's more to Beyblade then putting on a good show."

"Whatever, Piers," Erica simply scoffs, easily brushing aside her brothers disapproving look. "Just sit back and let me take care of things from here."

A look of mild amusement plays across Ray's features as he watches the siblings argue for a moment. Erica reminds him of a younger Tyson, when they first formed The Bladebreakers. Tyson was all arrogant and ready to launch himself headlong into all battles, uncaring of the consequences. Though, in Tyson's defense, he wasn't as obnoxious about his abilities that Erica seems to be. But he was overly confident nonetheless.

And he still is, but at least now he's starting to take advice handed to him on board and he's not making that many reckless mistakes anymore. Today proved that.

Ray will admit to himself that the way Tyson suddenly took the mic and apologized to Kai in front of everyone surprised him greatly. He never expected that from him, after all, he was notorious for annoying Kai and never apologizing for it.

A hint of suspicion appears in Ray's chest as he thinks about Tyson sudden change in behavior. It all started when Kai was attacked and left for dead in the park. Before then, he had been defiant, but after that, he went into deep depression and turned recluse.

After a moment, Ray simply gives a small shrug of his shoulder, believing that maybe Tyson just saw the light after realizing how close they came to losing Kai for good.

Turning his attention to Piers, Ray realizes that he reminds him of Kai, the one trying to get others to see that Beyblade was more than a mere game, it's a sport to be taking seriously. He almost has the same exasperated look on his face that Kai has whenever someone brushes off his advice, they way Erica is doing to Piers right now.

"Remind you of someone we know?" Ray whispers to Max, who turns to him with an expression of amusement on his face as well.

"You don't mean Kai and Tyson, do you?" Max asks with a chuckle in his voice.

"Ready?" DJ asks as he positions himself at the side of the dish, between the two opposing teams. "3. 2. 1, let it rip!"

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Gah, another chapter with a beybattle! Kill me now, please?

Please review.


	24. The Time to Move On Is Here

Reviews: Thanks so much to; glitteredvixen06, pheonix80, Surrealtraversity, dragonfire7654321, DarkBombayAngel, Demolition-GIRL-33236, chrono-contract, dragonlilly1993, loner7803, the Light Shadow, Anime Girl23, Tenshi of Freedom, Painted Ys, Rapunzelle, american farmer, russian and cute blader lover, kaitouahiru and Blaze Queenie for taking the time to review! –glomps-

Well, here's chapter 24, fluff mixed in with yet another beybattle. Fluff was easy to write, the battle, however…Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 24:**

**The Time to Move On Is Here**

Hearing the announcer count down for the battle to commence, Miguel shakes his head a little in amusement, his arm ever secure around Kai's waist, who is practically glued to his side. The excitement as well as the unease of not knowing whether his teammates care enough about him to win this competition is really starting to wear on Kai.

Thankfully, thought, it appears that Tyson is truly changing and his teammates care enough to put their reputations on the line for him. So, a weight has been lifted from his far too fragile shoulders and he is merely feeling heavy from exhaustion.

Kai looks ready to fall asleep, so maybe confronting his teammates will have to wait until he has rested. He's been through enough already, making his teammates wait just a little bit longer to hear his forgiveness won't hurt them.

The only thing that will hurt them is if they try to do any of this again. Not that they will have the guts to do so, especially now that Miguel is going to be moving to Japan to be with Kai, his number one priority.

He quickly pulls himself out of his thoughts when he feels Kai rest his head against his shoulder and released a soft, yet oh-so adorable yawn and snuggle against him. A smile graces Miguel's lips and he moves to wrap both arms around his slender lover's frame and cradle him against his chest, his chin resting on top of the two tone blue hair.

He glances over to the others who seem to be conversing quietly amongst themselves, every now and again, casting off concern glances in their direction, well, mostly in Kai's direction.

"Who would have thought that this charity match would be decided with a two on two battle?" he comments in a sense of bemusement. There never seems to be a dull moment when Grev are around.

"At least it's living up to the hype," Tala mutters as under his breath as he's not one for a grand show. He prefers the quick take down technique so he can move on.

He suddenly turns to Bryan and nods his head, seemingly returning to their previous discussion, which causes Miguel to raise an eyebrow towards his hair line in a sense of suspicion and confusion.

"We're going to head down to the arena," Bryan announces. "You two coming?" he asks, even though he is wearing a look that say they really need to stay here in the comforting silence of the spectators box. His emerald green eyes are eyeing Kai critically, concern evident within the green orbs. Even they can see how tired Kai is looking right now.

Kai catches onto his concern and subtle underlying of his question and shakes his head, a small grateful smile on his lips. "Not just yet."

"Ok," Garland says with a smile as allows Bryan to place a hand on the small of his back and begin to lead him out of the room. "We'll catch you later!" he calls over his shoulder.

Miguel simply nods in their direction while Kai grants them with a small wave of his hand. He and Miguel wait until they have left and the door closes shut behind them before they turn to each other. Kai gazes up into Miguel's eyes, a tiny purr escaping from his throat when Miguel begins to run his fingers soothing through his hair, placing a gentle kiss on his brow.

"Are you alright?" he asks softly, his lips lingering near his forehead.

Kai responds by nestling himself further into his chest. "Just a little tired," he admits as he eyes slip close, feeling content just to be near Miguel's comforting presence.

Gently, Miguel takes a step back, but only to bend down and sweep an arm under Kai's legs, lifting him up off the floor and sitting in his arms. "Let's sit down for a minute," he suggests and Kai simply gives a light purr and nuzzles his head under his chin.

Carefully, so not to disturb the bundle in his arms, Miguel walks away from the windows and sits down in the soft chairs, resting Kai in his lap. He wraps one arm around his shoulders as the other moves to rub soothing circles on his thigh, his cheek pressing against his forehead.

"You're really going to move here with me?" Kai asks with a sleepy tone, letting Miguel lull him to a state of relaxation with his loving administrations.

"Of course," Miguel quickly replies, having no second thoughts whatsoever. "After everything that's happened, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Kai's tiny frame shakes lightly as he chuckles to himself before he lifts his head to once again look into Miguel's stunning blue eyes, loving how they always remind him of the crystal blue seas he loves so much. "What do you think? Should we stay in my current apartment or go hunting for a house to live in?" he asks, looking forward to acting like a couple with him.

"Well," Miguel says as the corners of his lips twitches into a smile, he too, really looking forward to moving in with Kai. "I like the view from you apartment, however, living in a place of our own sounds better."

"You know money isn't an option, so we can get whatever we want," Kai states as he places a quick kiss on Miguel's cheek. "I'm thinking about getting a place somewhere near the water."

Miguel nods, knowing all too well how Kai loves being near the ocean. "We'll go house hunting after you recover a bit more, ok?"

"Hmm, ok," Kai says as his eye lids begin to feel heavier. "We can always just look at real estate magazines anyway. There's no hurry."

"No, there's not," Miguel agrees as he slips a finger under Kai's chin and tilts his head back just a little so he can gaze into his ruby red eyes. "I love you."

A warm, content smile appears on Kai's lips. "I love you too," he whispers, sighing when Miguel leans forward and places a loving kiss on his lips, lingering there for a moment before pulling away and letting Kai fall asleep in his arms. Miguel is mildly aware of the screaming fans below, but he pays them no mind as he rests his chin on top of Kai's head and he, too, drifts off to a light siesta.

----------------------------

Not wanting to sound too boastful or arrogant, but Ray realizes from the moment Erica launchers her blade that this battle is going to be rather one-sided. Her brother, Piers, seems at a loss of what to do. Despite being twins, they are different in personality. Erica is reckless and a tad arrogant, just like Tyson used to be. While Piers seems to be level-headed and rational…just like Kai.

Shaking his head, Ray turns to glance at Max standing next to them. They communicate silently for a moment, neither of them having ever been paired together for a two on two battle before, but they have been friends long enough to know what the other is thinking and what their strengths and disadvantages are.

"Ready?" he asks.

Max nods his head and gives him a smile. "Ready."

Nodding sharply, Ray throws out his arm to command his blade. "Let's go, Drigger!"

"You know what to do, Draciel!"

A smirk flitters across Erica's face, the young female feeling confident in her abilities. "Let's show them not to underestimate a girl, Preyton!"

However, her twin brother, Piers, isn't as confident as she is. "Don't just rush off headfirst; we don't know if they have a strategy in place yet," he scowls as his blue blade tries to catch up with her cherry red one.

Piers' advice is sound, but the young female chooses to ignore it and simply rushes in, her blade clashing immediately with Ray's white blade. A feline smile appears on Ray's lips, knowing that if he plays his cards right, this battle shouldn't prove too much of a challenge, however he has been proven wrong before, so he can't relax just yet.

Erica has power in her blade, that much is very clear, but she has little control over said power, which seems to be affected by her emotions as well. Despite the relentless pounding against Ray's blade, he remains strong and she's steadily losing her patience.

"Stop being so reckless, Erica," Piers once again scowls, seeming focusing all his attention to the battle with his sister rather than the one in the beydish. It seems that unlike Kai, Piers can only fight one battle at a time. "Calm down."

"Take your own advice," Erica snaps, her grip on her launcher tightening almost painfully. "I'm fine."

"Won't be long now," Max whispers and Ray nods his head. If their opponents don't get their act together soon, this battle will soon be over.

"Enough playing around," Erica hisses before she throws out her hand to summon her bitbeast. "Preyton, let's go! Use Avian Stampede!"

Glowing a dark red, a beast with an antlered head and legs of a deer, and the wings and body of a bird arises from the cherry red blader. The creature throws its head back on a deafening howl before lowering its head, its bright yellow eyes seemingly staring down its opponent. Then, without warning, its rushes forward, Erica's blade taking on both Ray and Max's at the same time!

"Stay behind me, Ray!" Max commands as his green blade moves to take the brunt of Erica's attack, his defense ring stronger on his blade than that on Ray's and he has no trouble taking the full force of the attack.

"Gotcha," Ray says as his blade moves out of the way and begins to circle the dish, looking for an opening and searching for a possible weakness in Erica's attack.

"Wait, let me help! Come forth, Eale!" Piers calls, he too, throwing out a commanding hand. His blade begins to glow a light blue, and not a moment later, a creature that is tawny in color, with a body of a horse, a tail of an elephant and the jaws of a boar. But, on its head are a pair of long, sharp horns that appear to move at will.

But just as Piers is about to yell a command to his bitbeast, Erica suddenly silences him by shoving her hand in front of him, causing him to reel back in surprise. "What?"

"Just back off," she says, her eyes narrowing in a stern manner as her smirk turns into a frown, seemingly feeling irate as how this battle is progressing. "I can take these two on my own."

"But-"

"Just shut up!" she suddenly screams, her blade pushing abruptly away from Max's Draciel and smashes into Piers' blade, damaging his attack ring, causing a small piece to fly off and to hit him on the cheek. "I told you to back off!"

From the other side of the dish, Ray and Max's eyes widen in shock, a sense of disbelief and concern etching onto their faces when Piers falls backwards, landings on his butt as he cradles the side of his face where the piece of debris hit him. He hisses lightly from the stinging pain before turning his eyes towards his blade that is slowing down to a very shaky wobble.

"Eale!" he cries out, a hint of betray and devastation in his expression. "Eale, hold on there, my friend…"

Max continues to stare in disbelief, mildly aware that Erica is trying to attack his blade with hers once again. "She attacked her own brother?" he mutters, his lips turning into a frown.

Ray presses his lips together, a sense of anger bubbling in his chest. He hopes that Erica here isn't a sign of what other up-and-coming bladers are like. This isn't what Beyblade is about; it's about being able to blade as an individual, yet also knowing how to work as a team. Although one usually blades their opponent one on one, Beyblade is still a team sport. It's not about putting on a good show for the cameras and doing whatever it takes to win. It's not about winning at all costs; it's about getting out there doing the best you can.

And furthermore, you do _**not**_ attack your own teammate's blade, no matter how badly you want to prove a point!

"Well, someone needs an attitude check," he hisses, his feline fangs glistening under the powerful lights high above.

"Then let's give it to her," Max says with an uncharacteristic smirk spreading across his lips. "If she thinks she can take us both on, let's indulge her in that."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Ray comments before turning his amber eyes back to the battle. "Drigger!"

"What?" Erica whispers in surprise before she suddenly finds herself trying to fend off not only Max's defensive Draciel, but try to avoid Ray's Drigger, who is attacking her blade in rapid concession, coming in from all sides.

"This is just a charity match!" she cries, suddenly realizing that she's in way over her head. "You don't have to be so rough!"

The first thought that immediately springs to Max's mind is that she is a hypocrite, especially after she attacked her brother's blade, damaging it, but he decides against voicing his disapproval.

"This is more than just a charity match to me," he explains as his blade continues its relentless attack alongside Ray's Drigger. "It's a matter of growth. I need to prove myself to someone important to me. And I need to prove to myself that this is the true me. I'm no longer going to be someone I'm not."

"A beybattle is a beybattle, regardless of the circumstances," Ray carries on, picking up from where Max left off. "I approach each battle the same way; respect for my blade and my opponent. Someone important to me taught me that, and I now completely understand what he means. If you don't do the same, you're bound to lose."

"But-" Erica stutters for a moment before turning to her brother, who is now kneeling on the ground, sending him a desperate look. "Do something Piers!" she demands.

"What do you want me to do?" Piers asks with a sneer in his tone. "You damaged my blade!"

"This battle is over," Ray says with a firm tone. "Drigger, use Thunder Claw!"

Immediately, Drigger's blade glows a light green in colour, and then, not a split second later, collides with Preyton's, successfully knocking the red blade out of the dish, Piers' blue one joining it not a moment later, rolling to a stop near their feet, or in Piers' case, near his knees.

This charity match is now over.

"And the winners are Ray and Max from Grev!" DJ announces and the cheers of approval soon erupt from the crowds, fans young and old repeating their names over and over again.

This is it, they actually won! Winning a charity match never felt so good.

"You have a lot to learn about teamwork, don't you?" Ray comments as he and Max walk over to the other side of the dish to congratulate their opponents for an interesting battle.

"You're too aggressive in your approach," Max comments with his usual bright smile on his lips as he speaks with Erica, who is staring down at her blade in disbelief. "Two on two battles consists of you working with your partner, not taking control. You brother tried hard to back you up, but he simply pushed him aside."

"I suggest you two work on your strategy a bit," Ray says as he holds out his hand for Piers to take, which he does with a look of surprise on his face and pulls himself to his feet. "Then, the two of you will be a force to reckon with, alright?"

Piers offers a small smile, knowing all too well what the two more experienced bladers speak off, but Erica seems reluctant to accept the loss. She simply picks up her blader, refusing to shake Max's hand on a great battle and stalks off.

"I'll win next time!" she huffs, seemingly on the edge of crying as she pushes past her two other teammates.

"Erica!" Piers cries after her before turning back to Ray and Max, sending them a very apologetic look. "I apologize for my sister. She has one hell of a-"

"Don't worry about it," Ray cuts him off with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Max grins. "We're used to it."

Piers sends them a grateful look before running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Urgh, what am I going to do with her?"

"You know, you remind me of someone," Ray murmurs, immediately thinking of a certain enigma.

Piers gives Ray a look of confusion, but Ray simply smiles and shrugs his shoulder before he and Max turn around and walk towards the rest of their teammates. They've done it, they actually won this match.

Now they can see Kai again.

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Mwahahahahahaha! No more beybattles to write! Alright, the next chapter is the last one. Ending it on a nice round 25 chapters X3

Please review.


	25. Just A Bit of TLC

Reviews: Thanks so much to; DarkBombayAngel, Taijiya Mizu, Demolition-GIRL-33236, Lirin Sama, pheonix80, Anime Girl23, chrono-contract, glitteredvixen06, grey-shadow-horse, Painted Ys, Rapunzelle, kaitouahiru, vlissan, Blaze Queenie, Destiny Kitty, Nameless Little Girl and Tenshi of Freedom for reviewing! –_glomps_-

And, as promised, here is the last chapter! –_faints_-

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**Chapter 25**

**Just A Bit of TLC**

Pacing back and forth, touching one wall of the dojo and then racing across the floor to touch the other is the only thing Tyson can bring himself to do. He is currently back home with his teammates, waiting rather impatiently in the sitting room of the dojo to see if they have deemed themselves worthy of the one and only enigmatic Kai Hiwatari.

The charity match is over and was a great success; the organizers raised the money needed to fix the roof of the local day-care centre, a new team of bladers managed to learn the true meaning of Beyblade and most importantly -- they won!

Winning had never felt so good or a match so nerve-wracking.

Before his match Tyson apologized to Kai in front of everyone and on local TV. He apologized for so many things, but most important he apologized for being a brat to him all this time.

He just hopes Kai heard his apology and realize that it was sincere, not something he did to appeal himself to his fans even more. No, he wasn't talking to them then; he was talking directly to Kai.

Thinking back on his bratty, selfish, pompous behaviour now literally makes him wince and want to slap himself for being...well...a complete and utter dick.

He has never acted that way before in his life and he had always hated it when others treated him with disrespect, so he can't really understand why he acted like that, especially to Kai.

Of course, to be completely honest, the way Kai seems to know just about everything and yet keeps all information to himself so Tyson has no choice but to seek it out himself is annoying, especially at a critical time. And it's ok to lose one's frustration every once in a while, Kai expects that.

But it's a different matter entirely when you constantly act like there's a yard stick up your ass.

He has no excuse for his behaviour other then he let his fame, fuelled by the media get the better of him and he started believing everything they said. Let's face it, though, everything they said was somewhat flattering and it was nice being worshipped by adoring fans, he'd be lying if he said he didn't. Every one of his teammates would admit the same thing, he's sure.

But it's one thing to acknowledge your fan base, it's another to let them rule over your life. Kai told him that once.

Gah! Who knew being famous could be so difficult?!

"Tyson, you're wearing out a track in the floor," Ray points out, unwillingly pulling Tyson out of his thoughts but not stopping him from pacing.

"It's my floor," Tyson replies quickly as he does another lap. "I can do what I want with it."

A soft chuckle passes Hiro's lips and he shakes his head. He can easily tell that his brother is feeling intensely nervous, anyone in his room can tell this, but Hiro is the only one who knows why. It's been a harrowing few days for everyone involved. He still can't believe his own brother would physically attack his teammate, but then he pulls himself up; that's in the past now. Tyson explained to him that he didn't mean to bring Kai any harm, he was just mad about everything.

"Where's Kai?" Max suddenly asks as he chews on his bottom lip nervously. "Why isn't he here yet?"

Everyone else in the room looks nervous as well, all of them eager to see Kai again after winning the charity match. They are all wondering the same thing; are they good enough for Kai's forgiveness?

"He'll be here soon," Hiro says as he tries to reassure the group. Just after the two-on-two battle between Ray and Max vs. Piers and Erika, Claude and the others came to him, explaining that Kai witness the match himself but needed some rest before he can face his teammates.

It's been a few hours since the chaos of the match has died down and he knows Kai will be here any moment. In fact, he can hear the front door opening now so this must be him.

Tyson and the others also hear the door open and wait with baited breath as the sound of light footsteps echo from the hallway and then stop just outside the door. They seem to linger there for a moment before the door slowly slips open, revealing a certain dual haired enigma. A thick bandage still encircles his forehead and he has a look of weariness on his face, but he had a warm look in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips.

"Er, Kai?" Ray says as he subconsciously plays with the end of his ponytail, his posture as nervous as everyone else.

"I watched the match today," he says as he takes a couple of steps into the room, finding himself standing in the middle of a round semi-circle, his teammates surrounding him as they fidget on their feet.

"And?" Max prompts, gently pushing for more.

"You all did well," Kai finally says. "I'm proud of you."

Immediately, the tension in the air lifts and relief takes hold as smiles of joy and appreciation appears on everyone's' expressions, pride lingering in Hiro's as he watches the once strong team re-bond. However, not everyone is participating in the joyous occasion as Tyson seems to be holding back, lingering with uncertainly in the background.

"Tyson?" Hiro asks as a frown mars his lips.

However, before he can say anything else Kai looks up from speaking with the others and silently walks over to Tyson who is standing stock still in the middle of the room and looking at the floor, unable to bring himself to look upon Kai's face. A small smile slips across Kai's lips and he suddenly lifts his arms and wraps them around Tyson's neck, letting his face rest against his shoulder as he pulls him into a hug. Tyson stiffens and doesn't move, almost as if he's afraid too. No one in the room says anything, all watching with either gentle looks or expressions of surprise.

"I forgive you," Kai whispers softly. "Just don't do anything like that again."

A gasp passes Tyson's lips and he stays silence and still for a few lingering moments. Then, he squeezes his eyes shut and wraps his arms around Kai's waist, burying his face further into his shoulder as he cries softly. "I won't," he hiccups.

A wave of relief seems to wash over the group, all of them sighing with a sense of enlightenment. The stress and tension of the days gone by disappearing with those few words that slip from Kai's mouth.

He has forgiven them and that's all they can ask for.

Their way of life can finally start going back to normal but they are all better people than what they were before. They have a new sense of understanding and appreciation for Kai. After everything they have done for him, what they've put him through he still forgives them. They know they are better people because of him.

"Group hug!" Max suddenly announces as he throws his arms around his two blue haired teammates.

Ray chuckles lightly as he, Kenny, Daichi and even Hilary joins the display of friendship, throwing themselves into the fray, all leaning against each other for support. Their friendship is strong, stronger than ever.

And now they can finally move on with their lives and do it together as the powerful team that they are.

Normally, Kai isn't fond of such overly enthused displays of fondness, but he lets this one slide for now. It's been quite a chaotic few weeks for everyone, they need this sense of reassurance.

He, too, feels that a burden has been lifted from his shoulders. He's glad to know that his teammates care enough for him to win the charity match for him, and only him.

"Whoa, take it easy with my boyfriend there," Miguel suddenly quips as he leans casually against the door frame. Behind him stands the two Blitzkrieg Boys with their significant others and Claude, who quickly makes his way into the room and to slip next to Hiro's side.

"He's still recovering," Miguel says as he pushes away from the doorframe to wrestle his soulmate out from under the group hug.

Immediately, everyone backs off with apologetic looks of embarrassment on their faces, prompting a few chuckles and sniggers from the older males of the group. Miguel immediately walks over to Kai and wraps his arms around him, letting him sink against his chest.

"Sorry," Max says as he playfully sticks out his tongue and bashfully places a hand at the back of his head. "We're just so glad to have him back. We've really missed him."

"Yeah," Miguel says as his eyes soften into a gentle warmth as he looks at his fellow blonde. Max has always been honest with himself and others, so whenever he speaks, he's always sincere. "I'm sure you have."

"This calls for a celebration," Hiro says as he claps his hands to get everyone's attention. "How about we get some take out?"

A chorus of approval soon erupt and everyone piles themselves into the lounge room as Hiro orders an unreasonable amount of pizza. Tyson once again lingers behind, his mahogany eyes watching both Kai and Miguel from a distance. He's ecstatic in knowing that Kai forgives him but what about Miguel? Miguel is Kai's boyfriend and they are very, very serious about each other. He has to know what Miguel feel towards him; it's ok if he still hates his guts, he would too under the same circumstances.

But, he just has to know.

"Um, hey, Miguel?" Tyson says, causing the Spanish blonde to pause and turn around, his arm still around Kai's shoulders. Kai tilts his head to the side in question while Miguel simply raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"Can I have a quick word with you for a second?" Tyson asks as that nervous, butterfly feeling appears in his stomach.

A flicker of understanding appears in the blonde's eyes and he finds himself nodding. He takes his eyes momentarily off of Tyson to regard Kai, whispering something softly to him and gently kisses the top of his head. Kai smiles softly up at him before nodding and slipping out of his hold, disappearing with the others.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Miguel asks as he finally turns to regard Tyson, his eyebrow once again reaching for his hairline.

Tyson subconsciously finds the taller and older blonde a tad intimidating, remembering vividly the way he had him by the throat in the hospital a mere few days ago. "I was just wondering...I mean..." he stutters uncharacteristically nervously, not entire sure how to phrase the words.

How to you ask the boyfriend of the guy you unwilling sent to the hospital for forgiveness?

"I'll be honest with you," Miguel says as he grants Tyson a small sense of salvation, stopping him from stuttering even more. "I'm still very wary of you."

That response doesn't surprise Tyson very much as all, in fact he expected it. Still, it kinda hurts knowing that Miguel doesn't trust him. "I see."

"But Kai seems to have forgiven you."

"Yeah," Tyson mutters as a small smile appears on his lips and he suddenly remembers something. They won the charity match, so that means Miguel won't be stealing Kai away from them and taking him to Spain. "I guess that means he won't be moving to Spain with you?"

"No," Miguel says with a sense of bitter disappointment in his voice, but his expression soon brightens and he flashes him a smile that says he's going to be doing something even better. "I'm moving here."

"What?"

"I'm moving in with Kai," Miguel explains as he chuckles lightly from Tyson's reaction. "I'm an overly protective boyfriend so I'm not letting him out of my sight. I guess that means I'll be watching you, doesn't it?"

Tyson deadpans at the cheerfulness in Miguel's voice and finds himself nodding as the blonde chuckles again and moves out of the room, no doubt eager to plant himself next to Kai once again.

There is no way on this green earth will Tyson resort to that bratty and egotistical way that started this whole mess ever again.

Not that Miguel or anyone else will let him.

-------------------------------------

It's hard to believe that two whole months have passed since those horrid events that seen bladers on opposite sides of the planet race to Japan to be by Kai's side to help him recover from fatigue only to end up in the hospital some time later due to a misunderstanding and temper tantrum.

Kai has recovered rather quickly from his injuries, with Miguel by his side, it's little wonder. True to his word, Miguel has officially moved in with Kai and they are currently doing a bit of house hunting, looking for a place of their own with just the two of them. They are more in love with each other than ever.

Tala went back to Russia for a bit with King by his side and Bryan is with them, Garland opting to follow as he has never been to Russia before. Those couples have turned into a real jet-setting pairs, always popping back and forth between the two countries, or wherever Kai is in the world.

Hiro is currently on a much needed holiday in Spain with Claude, the two wanting to spend more time with each other without the distraction of their teammates.

Grev have really taken the vow to appreciate Kai more to heart. They are more patient and calm now, but they are still prone to sudden acts of restlessness. They train when asked and sometimes without being told. However, they are still the enthusiastic team and Kai still finds them somewhat difficult to control whenever they get too excited about something.

Thankfully, though, Miguel seems to be able to quickly pull them into gear whenever they become too much for Kai to take.

A smile appears on Kai's lips as he approached the ever familiar dojo, the sounds of voices calling out commands and blades striking against each other greet him.

"Ready for training, Kai?" Tyson asks as soon as Kai steps into the courtyard.

However, instead of giving out orders of what they should focus on today, Kai shakes his head. "Actually, I can't train you guys today," he says as he lifts up a shopping bag in his hand, showing them that he just came from the chemist. "Miguel has a head cold and I want to stay with him for the day."

A frown of concern immediately etches its way onto Ray face and he nods in understanding. "Is he alright?"

"He'll be fine," Kai quickly reassures, but unable to stop a sly smirk from appearing on his lips. "But don't worry; I have made arrangements for someone else to train you."

"But I thought Hiro was in Spain with Claude?" Max says as he gives him a look of utter confusion.

The smirk grows a bit more wicked as Kai nods. "He is."

Tyson furrows his brow and places his hands on his hips. "Then who...?" he starts to ask, but then trails off, his face paling in fright as two very familiar, evil, sadistic Russians appear behind Kai, both of them on either side of him, leaning their elbows on their respective shoulders.

"Hey, how you doing?" Tala asks as a wolf like grin spreads across his lips.

Opposite him, Bryan wears a similar look of sadism. "It's been a while."

"I've asked Bryan and Tala to take over training today, ok?" Kai explains as the two Russians removed themselves from his shoulders and practically slink into the courtyard, ready to have themselves some fun. "I'll catch you guys later."

With that said, Kai simple gives them a small wave and turns on his heel, walking back through the front entrance.

"What?!"

Kai laughs softly to himself as he hears his teammates practically scream in fright and carries on his way back to his apartment where his amazing boyfriend is sleeping soundly, resting. His teammates' reactions are amusing and he shakes his head as he smiles softly. He asked Tala and Bryan not to go overboard with the training, just get them to do their drills today, but he couldn't help but have a bit of fun at their expense.

What? He might be their team captain, but that doesn't mean he can't test them every once in a while and have fun while he's doing it.

Pausing for a moment, Kai looks back at the dojo, thinking about his teammates. They've come a long way and he's proud of what they've achieved and most importantly he's proud of how they are maturing and growing. No longer do they expect answers to be giving to them, they search for the answers themselves. No longer do they have to be ordered to train, they often do it themselves. And most importantly, they no longer expect to win every battle they encounter.

Turning back around, Kai lifts his head up and gazes at his apartment complex as it comes into sight and thinks about Miguel; his utterly amazing boyfriend. He'd be lost without his blonde-haired Adonis by his side. During his sickness, his frustration, his weakness, Miguel's love for him never wavered. He was there with him the entire time, caring for him, loving him, protecting him – he doesn't know what he did to deserve such amazing human being as his soulmate, but he could not be happier.

"Things are starting to look up," Kai whispers to himself and a soft smile graces his lips. "I guess all it took was a bit of TLC to help work things out."

* * *

-_A happy/insane laughter fills the air_- I'm done! Started over one year ago and is finally finished today. Had no idea that it was going to be this long, but I'm proud of my little baby here –_purrs and pats it_- I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Thanks so much for all the love and support! Loves you all very much!

Please review.


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